Discipleship and Kids
Preached by Jason Abbott
January 26, 2014
Introduction
It would be easy, from the title of this sermon, to assume we’re going to learn something today about how, as disciples of Jesus, we should raise children. However, Jesus has nothing to say here about how people should rear their kids. This is not a sermon on cultivating Christian children.
Rather, Jesus speaks to his disciples about cultivating Christian standards. He is concerned with how his disciples are arriving at their views regarding life. How should a disciple of Jesus view children—or the lowly and humble in society? How should we, if we follow Jesus, treat those who (it would seem) have nothing valuable to offer us?
These are more precisely the questions Jesus raises in this passage.
Consequently, as we begin to dig into this section of Mark, we must learn (1) to be discerning and careful in how we form our values as followers of Jesus, and we must learn (2) to be more biblical in working out our salvation.
In order to learn more in these two areas, we’ll ask two probing questions of this passage:
(1) How have the disciples allowed their standards to be formed?
(2) What do little children teach about entrance into the kingdom of God?
Mark 10:13-16
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
1. How have the twelve allowed their standards to be formed (vv. 13-14)?
If you’re like me then you find it rather too easy to judge the disciples here. We far too readily assume we see their error in this little passage as Jesus sees it. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
You see, we believe they’re being too harsh with the children here because we read our 21st century western values concerning children into their 1st century Israelite context. We import a Whitney Houston “I believe the children are our future” standard into a society that did not idealistically value children in this way. When we do so, we completely miss the point of the passage!
In the 1st century, there were probably no societies that idealized children. Thus, in 1st century Israelite society, for example, kids were often valued for labor. One commentator notes this:
Sons, to be sure, were regarded as a blessing from God, but largely because they insured the continuance of the family for another generation—and increased its workforce.1
So, you see, the view of children in Jesus’ day and the view of children in our own day are radically different views. Consequently, we cannot judge the disciples on the basis of what we consider to be an insensitive rebuke of children. On the contrary, many (in 1st century Israelite society) would have thought the disciples’ actions here appropriate and even prudent!
Why? Because, the disciples are valuing children according to how their society valued children.
This is the crucial point! You see, if we don’t recognize that what the disciples do with the children here is completely acceptable according to Jewish social standards then we will never understand this passage because we will never get to the bottom of why Jesus rebukes the twelve so harshly in the first place.
You see, Jesus is not rebuking them because they’re being rude to children. Since (according to Jewish customs and standards), they weren’t being rude.
Jesus is rebuking them because they’ve gone to the wrong source for rules. You see, they’re operating by the human rather than the divine code of conduct!
Jesus rebukes them here because, when the disciples rebuke these children (because they are among the least in Jewish society), they have shown that they ultimately continue to live according to human standards and not God’s standard. They have betrayed that their code of conduct comes from the wrong source.
It comes from men, not God!
This is the kind of thing we thoughtlessly do all the time. We simply adopt the standards of our society without even considering if they are consistent with the standards of God.
This can take place in two different directions:
(a) We can take our cues from the secular world in which we live without thinking about it.
For example, consider how most people, in the church, view retirement as a glorified form of working for the weekend. We think we should work for 30 or 35 years doing some job then go and do those things we really wanted to do all along. We primarily view retirement as our time.
However, this isn’t God’s view of our lives here on earth. Biblically, the Christian has a far different calling than this. The Christian has a gospel calling. John Piper sums it up in this way:
Finishing life to the glory of Christ means finishing life in a way that makes Christ look glorious. It means living and dying in a way that shows Christ to be the all-satisfying Treasure that he is. 2
Christian retirement is not spending time playing golf each day or traveling the world to see the places we’ve always longed to see. Rather, Christian retirement is living and serving (evermore fully) in the presence of our Triune God. Only there will we find the rest and satisfaction for which we’ve always longed!
When we take any other view of retirement, we have betrayed that we are taking our cues from the secular culture in which we live and not from the God for whom we were created to live!
(b) We can take our cues from the religious society in which we live without thinking about it.
Interestingly, this is more like what the disciples are doing in this passage. You see, they are part of a religious society (specifically Jewish religious society). And here, they have made the mistake of assuming that that society’s views, concerning children, are the right or correct views.
But, surprisingly they’re wrong! So Jesus rebukes them.
Today, we must see this rebuke and learn to examine our own assumptions. For, many times, we assume that we’re taking our cues from God when, in fact, we’re taking our cues from our particular church’s culture.
A mentor of mine told a story, from his seminary days in the early 1970s, about a seminary friend who was a gifted preacher and evangelist. At one point, this friend was asked to speak at an evening service at a local church. On the way, he ran into some hippies (because, after all, it was the early 70s), and he proceeded to invited them to come hear him speak at the church service.
Now, these guys were not exactly the church going type, but, to his surprise, they accepted his invitation anyway. They accompanied him to church!
However, when this group of young men attempted to go inside with my mentor’s friend, they were stopped at the door by the ushers and denied entrance because they weren’t dressed appropriately! (It was a rather high church environment, and suits and ties were the customary attire.)
Certainly, if these ushers had been the twelve disciples, they would have also received a harsh rebuke from Jesus for taking their cues from the wrong place!
We must ask ourselves as members of Community Evangelical Free Church:
Where are our blinders here at Community?
Where is our own church culture not in alignment with God’s kingdom culture?
Where do our own church’s cultural practices violate the gospel?
Let’s now move to our second and final question:
2. What do children teach about entrance into the kingdom of God (v. 15)?
Look at what Jesus says:
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it (v. 15).
Think about how important this statement is to understand. Jesus is saying that without some childlike quality there is no hope of entering into eternal life! We must therefore ask: What is this essential childlike quality?
Often we too quickly assume that the quality is innocence. We think that children are an excellent example of innocence and so that must be what Jesus demands of his disciples.
However, I do not think this can be the case for, at least, two reasons:
(a) Biblically children are not considered innocent. In their connection with Adam, they are considered sinful from birth. (I can vouch for this doctrine. I’ve got five children. They, like their dad, were born sinners.)
(b) If Jesus were demanding childlike innocence, it would be anti-gospel. For, essentially, it would be teaching the disciples moralism or salvation by works of righteousness, not salvation by grace through faith.
What then is this essential childlike quality?
Well, it is clear from the context that these must be the smallest children—babies really. As Mark tells us:
“…they were bringing children to him” (v. 13).
“…he took them in his arms and blessed them” (v. 16).
The picture here is of the smallest of children being brought and even carried to Jesus for blessing. The picture here is of Jesus holding these smallest of children in his arms.
The picture here is not a picture of innocence but of helplessness!
Helplessness, inability, and powerlessness are the essential childlike qualities Jesus demands of his disciples! This is how we must be like the little children in order to enter into the kingdom of God.
And, this is completely consistent with the gospel!
Please allow me to read you something which I found profoundly helpful. This is from James Edwards’ commentary on Mark. He writes of this passage:
To receive the kingdom of God as a child is to receive it as one who has no credits, no clout, no claims. A little child has absolutely nothing to bring, and whatever a child receives, he or she receives by grace on the basis of sheer neediness rather than by any merit inherent in him- or herself. Little children are paradigmatic disciples, for only empty hands can be filled.3
Let me close with this:
At whatever point you believe you have brought or given something to God, whenever you believe you bring credits or clout or claims which God must honor, at that very point, you have ceased to operate as a disciple of Jesus Christ!
At that very point, you’ve made salvation by grace into salvation by works!
At that very point, you’ve made Jesus’ crucifixion for sin unnecessary!
And no one, who is stuck at that very point, will ever enter God’s kingdom!
However:
If you (like a helpless child) depend upon the grace and mercy of God in Jesus then you will enjoy God’s eternal salvation!
If you depend upon the innocence of Christ Jesus (not your own innocence) then you will enter into the kingdom of God! This is the good news of Jesus Christ!
1James R. Edwards, The Gospel According To Mark, 306.
2John Piper, Rethinking Retirement: Rethinking Life for the Glory of Christ, 5.
3Edwards, 307.
