The scene opens with Jesus as the center of attention, again. This time, people are bringing children to him that he might touch them. Nearby, Mark has focused on several healings that the Lord performs, both before and after his Transfiguration.
Most notably, a father brings his son to Jesus and describes that child’s plight. All of the symptoms are there: a spirit seizes the boy, throws him to the ground, and leaves him foaming at the mouth and withering away. Jesus confronts the spirit, banishes it, and invites the boy to stand up. The child is healed.
So now, people are bringing their children to Jesus. Jesus touches the children who are presented before him. Perhaps they, too, are in need of the same healing power from the Lord Jesus.
But Mark adds an immediate note—Jesus’ disciples rebuked their Master for this
shocking behavior! It is one thing to heal a child, they think. But a rabbi in good standing loses his honor if he associates with several classes of people. We know all about the charges that Jesus ate with sinners, but here, another cultural barrier is witnessed. Children were of low esteem in Jesus’ Jewish culture. Over and over, people welcomed Jesus to their homes for a meal, even a banquet. The honor of the guest was expected to trickle down to those who were the hosts. As one commentator notes, “There is no perceptible value in hosting a banquet for a
child. (Birthday parties for children are a quite modern invention.)” 1
No, parents were not lining up to bring their children to Jesus for a birthday party! But in some cases, our own treatment of children has not progressed much beyond that of Roman society (much worse than the Jewish attitudes). There are so many children who come to school hungry, even malnourished. And inner-city children in many school systems have little chance of ever catching up because of the low quality of their education.
On the other hand, there is a persistent parental over-promotion of their children that also is not healthy. The child will be celebrated in the most extravagant ways for every milestone. Birthdays feature magicians hired for the occasion or huge festivals beyond what the child needs for growing maturity. There is a whole industry that has popped up to cater to the unhealthy needs of parents as they over-do the experiences of their kids. Even worse, our culture tends to hypersexualize young girls, promoted by the social media and advertised on the web. Online, the “Bratz” dolls and makeup are geared toward young girls and offer a highly sexualized image of what being a girl should look like. There is even a Bratz Advent Calendar for sale! 2 .
So our own culture seems to have a bipolar attitude toward many of our children. Either ignore and starve them for food and education, on one hand, or glorify their every move or over-sexualize them on the other. All of these extremes are contrary to God’s will for children and stand in opposition to the gospel.
Jesus responds to the disciples’ rebuke. It is a well-known verse: “Let the children come to me,” He adds, “ do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Jesus blesses the children who are brought to him…blesses them and points to them as models for everyone who seeks God’s reign. The attitude of the disciples is exactly opposite what Jesus is proclaiming. Children are not “pre-Christians” whose value will soar once they have given themselves to Jesus Christ, as some evangelists would put it. No. They are members of God’s family and Jesus treats them as such. It is this foundation upon which Christian life is grounded.
In the sacrament of Baptism, the celebrant anoints the water-wet child and announces, God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin,
given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. 3 Just as our Lord welcomed the children to himself, now we baptize these little ones and anoint
them with chrism. They are welcomed into God’s holy people. Here is a profound sign of the mystery of the kingdom of God. Being welcomed into God’s holy people is not dependent upon social status, ethnic or racial identity, financial ability, or promise of future usefulness in the world. Special needs children are equally cherished along with those who are whole; the orphans are now cherished within God’s own family in Christ. Preventing any child from this honor and such treatment is the way of the world. It will not be so with us in Christ’s church.
Along with our Lord, we proclaim, “Let the little children come! It is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Jesus attention shifts from the children he has been blessing to everyone who sees and hears this scene. He now speaks to us and teaches that we should welcome the kingdom of God as we would welcome one of these children who have just been baptized. It is not just that our own attitude should be childlike as we seek the reign of God. Jesus has now elevated the children to the exalted status of being welcomed into the family of God’s holy people. Now we, too are graced with such honor. Our commentator puts it this way: “Welcome the kingdom like you would welcome a child, adding, “God is not experienced in power but in weakness.” 4
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis describes a time early in World War II when children are being moved away from London because of the German blitz. Four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and, the youngest, Lucy” arrive at a kindly professor’s home away from the danger. Exploring their new home, Lucy finds an old wardrobe, climbs in, and discovers herself in a place of perpetual winter. It is rules over by the White Witch, who has turned any enemies of hers into stone statues. When Edmund also enters this place—called Narnia—he is greeted by the White Witch and seduced by her “Turkish delight” sweets.
Eventually, all four of the children come to Narnia through the wardrobe. Mr. Beaver befriends the four humans and tells them about Narnia’s true king, Aslan the Lion. This rightful king of Narnia then returns and his presence alone begins to thaw the frozen winter world. Aslan cares for the children and they respond to his love. Now, Father Christmas can also return and the banned festival of Christ’s birth draws near. The White Witch grows fearful and enraged. Edmond is treated horribly by the White Witch. She decides that he must die. The other three
children meet Aslan at the Stone Table. They are sent away, but the sisters sneak back to witness Aslan’s death---given in exchange for the life of Edmund. Aslan is shaved and tortured and stabbed to death. The sisters remain and grieve for their friend. The next morning, a loud sound is heard and they behold Aslan, risen and majestic.
Later, the forces of Aslan meet the army of the White Witch and defeat her horde. The four young siblings are crowned as royal leaders in Narnia, but they return through the Wardrobe where they discover that no time has elapsed since they left England. In their courage and hope as well as their fear and even, for Edmund, his treason, the children offer us models of how to welcome God’s kingdom. We come like children, oppressed by the long winter captivity of our world. We meet Aslan, our Christ, the one who gives his life for us. And we grieve for that loss and all of our own losses. But in the morning there is resurrection,
and we are offered places of honor in Christ’s kingdom.
So Jesus insists that we accept the kingdom of God like a child. He embraces us as his own, and blesses us with grace upon grace. Welcome the kingdom like you would welcome a child, we hear. Do not hinder the welcome of our God and the kingdom of his Son, for any child and for us all.
Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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