Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Nurtuirng Children’s Faith

Bible Reading:  St. Mark 10:13-16

 

Key Verse: When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. St. Mark 10:14


DEVOTION

“People were bringing children to him…” It wasn’t parents taking their kids on a day out to have some fun with this famous man called Jesus in the same way that we might take our young children for a “Picture with Santa” during Christmas. It was parents bringing their children to Jesus so that they could be blessed and dedicated to a life of discipleship. The parents came looking for a blessing. The disciples reacted badly. Jesus was furious with the disciples here because their actions did not represent his values.

A reflection on current Sunday School points out that today parents bring their children, and teachers take on the role of disciples. Unlike the Jesus’ disciples, today’s Sunday School teachers are eager to welcome the children who attend. But is that eagerness only for those who show up? What about the children who don’t? It raises the question “Do we go above and beyond of our 60 minutes of teaching responsibility to seek out and encourage the slackers? Does parents, has a sense of complacency set in, absorbed by the busyness of life? Instead of seeking blessing, has a life dedicated to discipleship become a thing of convenience rather than a priority and a commitment?”

It is essential to understand that failing to encourage children in the faith or disregarding them provokes indignation from Jesus, as such actions do not align with His values for the church. Jesus emphasizes here that the kingdom of God is for those who are weak, helpless, and overlooked. The objective qualities of children lie at the heart of His explanation: they are small, vulnerable, and low in social status. Children do not have voting rights, cannot drive, and are rarely consulted in decisions about important events in their own lives, or in the lives of their families.

When Jesus says, “The kingdom of God belongs to people like this”—people like what? People like those who are needy, who are lonely, who are helpless, who have no claim or merit in themselves.  It is the very littleness, the very helplessness, of children that is in focus. It is them whom Jesus took in his arms and placed his hands and blessed.

 

PRAYER

Gracious God, help us to welcome and seek out those who are looking for Christ to bless them. That we will not be like those who resisted him because of our ignorance, but that we might come to you in childlike trust and believing faith. Amen
 

Thought of the day

“For every lesson you have prepared the love of god has been shared….” – from an Instagram post
 

Sheba Oommen 
Carmel Mar Thoma Church, Boston

 

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