The Lutheran Hour
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"A Family Job"
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Text: Mark 10:14
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! This day, indeed, every day of your life, the living Lord Jesus is reaching out His nail-pierced hands to enfold sinful souls in a loving embrace of forgiveness and hope. Through the Savior’s atoning life, death, and resurrection may you always be given the peace and power which can only be found in His great grace. Amen.
If you travel as much as I do, you will understand this made-up story. The passengers were settled in and the crowded airliner was about to take off. Just before the plane was to taxi toward the runway, the silence of the cabin was shattered by the screams of a five-year-old who selected that moment to throw a temper tantrum. He didn’t want to fasten his seat belt. His mother was embarrassed and she quickly tried to quiet her son. Neither promises of bribes, or threats of punishment stopped him. The boy continued to scream; he kicked the seat in front of him; he threw stuff into the aisle.
That’s when a Marine Corps Colonel, who was sitting in one of the front seats of the passenger compartment got up and with the perfect posture and presence that Marines seem to possess, walked down the aisle. He stopped alongside the seats of the mother and her son. Addressing the boy, he pointed to the battle ribbons on his chest and the silver eagles on his shoulders. Then, those around saw the Colonel lean over and whisper something into the boy’s ear. Instantly the lad quieted down, fastened his seat belt, and grabbed his mother’s hand. As the Colonel made his way back to his seat the screams of the boy were replaced by an audible sigh of relief made by the rest of the passengers. Just before the Colonel reached his seat, a woman stopped him and asked, “Excuse me, sir, we are all most appreciative of what you did back there. Could you tell me what magic words you used on the mischievous little fellow to quiet him down?” The Colonel smiled and confided, “Yes, ma’am. I showed him my pilot’s wings, my service stars, and my battle ribbons. Then I explained that, by law, these things on my uniform entitle me to throw one passenger out of the plane on any flight I’m on.”
Now, before I get a personal visit from the Marine Corps’ public relations department, let me remind everybody listening: The story was made up. You and I know nobody would ever throw a child off an airplane for throwing a temper tantrum.
No, nobody would ever throw a child off a plane. We couldn’t do it, we all love children – and why not? They’re so cute – most of the time. And they’re honest – part of the time – all of the time if their honesty is going to bring some sort of embarrassment to their immediate family. Does that sentence sound a little too harsh? Yes, I thought it might. Well, I know a first grade teacher who, over the years, wrote down some of the prayers which the children had voiced in her classroom. One child had said: “Dear God, is it true my father won’t get into heaven if he keeps using his special bowling words in the house?” Then there was the boy who spoke from the heart when he prayed: “Dear God, thank You for my baby brother, but I wanted a puppy.”
Kids. You gotta love ’em. Jesus did. He loved them when He raised the young man of Nain; He loved them when He awoke Jairus’ little daughter from the sleep of death. Jesus loved, and healed, the boy who was possessed by a demon. And, yes, Jesus loved the young when He said, in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark: “Let the little children come to Me. Do not hinder them.” Jesus loved children so much that He actually picked them up in His arms and blessed them. Of course, you might think to yourself, “Of course, He did. I would expect the Savior to do nothing less.” You could say that, but if you did, you might not really be understanding the uniqueness of what happened that day. You see, what Jesus said, and did, on that occasion was most unusual. In the ancient world, the best that anybody might say about children would be something like: Put up with the little children coming to me. But that’s not what Jesus said.
In the verses immediately before His comment about children, Jesus had been listening to the respected leaders of the religious community as they discussed divorce and how the God-instituted home and the simple promises of fidelity between husbands and wives could be distorted and destroyed. No doubt the Savior had noted that not one word had been said about the effects disharmony and divorce has upon the little ones. Not one word had been spoken about the damage done to children who reside in a home where mother and father are at war, rather than in love. Nor had anything been said about the scars which discord leaves upon the children, or the deep wounds which are carried by those youngsters who feel unwanted, unneeded, unnecessary. It would have been disheartening, even discouraging, for Jesus to see the joyful husband-wife union that His Father had established in the Garden of Eden being treated with such callous and cavalier contempt.
Those omissions would have been bad enough. But when His own disciples, the very men He was training to go into the world to share the story of salvation with people in all nations, all communities, all families, and all age groups; when His own disciples placed themselves between some little children and Himself, Jesus had had enough. No, I can’t tell you why the disciples did what they did. Maybe they felt Jesus had been under too much of a strain and they were trying to give Him some personal time. Maybe they felt He had some better things to do than bounce some children on His lap like a mall Santa Claus in December. Maybe they, themselves, felt too important to be concerned with mothers and their troublemaking tots. Whatever the reason for the disciple’s actions, Jesus was going to have none of it.
In a sentence that left neither room for discussion or appeal to a higher court, Jesus decreed, “Let the little children come to Me. Do not hinder them.” Understand, Jesus wasn’t saying, “put up with the little children.” He didn’t say, “endure the little children;” or “pamper and spoil the little children.” If you capture the spirit of Jesus’ words, He was saying: “Welcome these little ones. Offer them the same hospitality and respect that you might extend to an honored and famous guest.” In Jesus’ day that would have been an astounding idea. Back then people didn’t pay much attention to children. Most of the time the young had no rights; much of the time they had no status before the law as real persons.
You see, way back in the primitive days, before so-called sophistication and questionable civilization thought of such things as sanitary abortion clinics, where an unwanted pregnancy could be terminated, most births were carried to term. There was no pre-birth determination of sex, or prediction as to a baby’s mental or physical perfection. Babies were delivered, and only then was a decision made about that child’s future. History brings us a letter, written at almost the same time as the Savior’s birth in Bethlehem, in which a poor worker told his pregnant wife in Alexandria to keep their child if it’s a boy and throw her away if it was a girl. There is no record of the man being arrested for his horrible and heart-rending advice. It was perfectly acceptable for a mother or father to abandon their unwanted child along the roadside. If somebody wanted the baby… fine, they could take him, or her, home. If not, exposure and wild animals would take care of the child in short order. Horrible? It’s always horrible to end a child’s life, born or unborn… but this wasn’t the half of it. Unlike our so-called civilized world where no one would ever think of using pieces and parts from an unwanted baby, back then there were people so perverted that they actually gathered up these unwanted children and raised them to be gladiators or prostitutes. There were others who maimed and mutilated these little ones so they might invoke pity when they were forced onto the streets as beggars.
Now you know why, all those around Him were shocked when Jesus said, “Welcome these soiled little sinners who sit upon the bottom rung of the social ladder.” They were shocked, and then amazed when Jesus, having spoken those words, showed what He meant. Jesus turned away from His good buddies, the disciples, and turned toward the mothers and their precious, precocious children. He looked at those little ones, and then He picked them up in His arms and He blessed them. Were there some important people there that day? I don’t know. I do know there was nobody there more important to the Savior than these children. Were there some folks waiting for a miracle? I don’t know. But they did see a miracle when God’s only Son bent down in love to bless humanity’s unworthy sons and daughters. Were there men and women there waiting to hear a sermon that day? I don’t know. I do know that they saw a sermon of God’s mercy as the Savior looked upon these little ones, loved them, and blessed them. What people saw that day was not a politician looking for some kind of photo opportunity; what they saw was not a candidate gleaning votes, but the Son of God putting His hands on the heads of little children and bestowing upon them a beautiful blessing.
Look at that picture which Mark paints so beautifully. See the most mighty Individual in the universe as He reaches out to the most helpless of humanity’s children. Savor the scene for a moment. Watch the Savior as He reaches down to pick up a child. There, do you see His hands? Those hands which now so gently cradle that little one, will be pierced by nails when Jesus gives His life so that these children, all of humanity’s children, including you and me, might be delivered from eternal death and damnation. Can you get a clear view of Jesus face; do you see the love which radiates out and envelops each of these trusting children? Look closely, because this face would soon sweat, as it were, great drops of blood as the sins of all people, in all times, and in all places were laid upon Jesus to be carried and crucified upon Calvary’s cross. Look upon that face, for it will be contorted with pain as fists and spit rain down upon Him who came to complete the Father’s plan of buying His wandering children back from sin, death, and Satan. Look closely for that face would soon be splashed by blood which dripped down from the cruel crown of thorns He would be forced to wear. Do you see His mouth move as He speaks words of blessing? We may not be able to hear what He said to these children, but we can be sure His words would have been special, tailored to touch the hearts of each. Jesus’ tone would have been calm, compassionate, kindly – quite different in volume and emotion from that which was heard on Black Friday as He suffered and died to purchase your salvation. On that day, hated by humankind and forsaken by His Father, His dried tongue would gasp out a request for your forgiveness; His parched throat would offer a promise of paradise to a believing thief who was dying next to Him; His last words would be a shout of work completed, a victory won and a commendation of His Spirit into the Father’s hands.
Look at Jesus as He bestows a blessing upon the children. The giving of a blessing – that’s a religions action that you seldom see today. We’ve all seen parents have heart-to-heart talks with their children as they approach the great milestones of puberty, earning a driver’s license, dating, going off to college, or getting married; but have we ever seen parents give their children a blessing from the Lord? If you go to sporting events, you will see coaches get in the faces of their players and yell; you will see them speak softly, and allow a team captain to offer a generalized prayer, often to a generic god; you will see an encouraging pat on the back when a player goes on, or comes off, the field; but have you ever seen a coach place his hands on the head of a kneeling team member and offer a blessing from God? It just doesn’t happen. You know, for a long time it seemed strange to me that this commanded, claimed, and coveted gesture of the Old and New Testaments should have fallen into disuse. Then I remembered, the custom of bringing your child to the Lord to receive a blessing is still continuing.
Although it is not the custom in all Lutheran Churches, in most, parents who are receiving the forgiveness of sins which is offered in the Sacrament, are encouraged to bring their unconfirmed children with them, up to the altar, for a blessing. In my mind’s eye I can still see that procession of parents with their little ones in tow. Those moms and dads knew that their children would, during the coming week, encounter all kinds of dangers, would hear all kinds of harsh words, be witnesses, and recipients, of cruelty and unkindness. So their children might be protected against such anticipated anger and animosity, these parents brought their children to the Savior for His blessing. Having the pastor place his hands on their child’s head and speak a few words of encouragement and blessing from the Savior was far more than getting some bland and blah: “Hope things go OK for you,” or “Have a good day.” In bringing their children to the Lord, they were asking the loving Redeemer to let His favor rest upon their little ones; parents were asking God to protect their children and allow them to live in His peace. That’s why those parents were more than glad to bring their children forward. They might not have thought about it, but they were continuing a tradition that is 2,000 years old. They were standing by the side of those mothers who brought their children to Jesus for a blessing. And the children – ah, the children. Well, that’s another story.
I remember, as I tried to place my hands on the heads, or shoulders, of these little ones, there were different reactions to getting a blessing from Jesus’ proxy. Some were almost a picture-postcard of perfection as they shut their eyes and patiently received God’s good word. The more mischievous ones, the ones with a smile on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes, made it a game where they squiggled and squirmed to get away from my hand. I think I got about 97 percent of them blessed. There were those who took one look at this big, bearded, bear of a guy and let out a whoop reminiscent of the boy on the airplane at the beginning of this message. And, of course, there was the boy who bit me. I showed him. I gave him a really good blessing. “May the Lord allow you to sink your teeth so readily into the cause of Christ.” That’s what I said. I’m sure Jesus would have said something far better.
It’s a normal thing, a good thing, for Christ’s followers to bring their children to Jesus for a blessing. It matters little if those parents lived 2,000 years ago, or if they are residing next door right now; Christians always know that when Jesus picks up their little ones and blesses them, He is giving a gift both personal, powerful, and protecting. In giving us His blessing, the Savior shows His unending care, compassion, and kindness. As Jesus stoops down to lift us up, He reveals His heart, and lets us see the love that took Him to the cross and the empty tomb. This picture, this snapshot of the Savior picking up the little children and blessing them is a good thing to see. But it is a partial picture unless a person also sees Christ’s commitment to carry his sins in the Garden of Gethsemane; it is an incomplete picture if an individual does not also see the cruel agony of Calvary’s cross or look into the victorious Savior’s empty tomb on Resurrection Sunday. You must see all of Jesus’ story if you are to truly appreciate; if you are to really benefit from what the Savior has done, from the words He has spoken, from the blessing He has given. You see, Jesus didn’t just say words of blessing, He, Himself is the blessing which guarantees salvation to all who, repenting of their sins, are brought to Him in faith. Talk is cheap, but it takes blood – the blood of God’s Son – to transform the wish of a blessing into the reality of God’s grace.
In the 1800s, Dwight Moody was preaching under a big circus tent in Chicago. During the course of his message, a police officer brought to the stage a little boy who was found in the crowd. Reverend Moody took the child in his arms and asked the crowd to center their attention upon him. Then he said something like, “The father of this child is more anxious to find the child than the child is to be found. So it is with our heavenly Father. He has been looking to bless you for many years.” Right about then, a man with a worried look on his face elbowed his way to the front of the platform. The man identified the lad as his son. The crowd broke into a mighty cheer as the man picked up his boy, hugged him tightly and blessed him. It was the gesture of a loving father; it is also the action of a redeeming Savior. Jesus picks us up in His arms and blesses us. God grant you have this blessing. If you don’t, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 8, 2006
TOPIC: Does God know whether someone will go to heaven or hell before they are even born? (Predestination)ANNOUNCER: Does God know who’s going to heaven and who’s not? Does He decide? I’m Mark Eischer, here with Pastor Ken Klaus. And we’re tackling more questions that come to us from the interactive Lutheran Hour Ministries program called Equipping to Share.
KLAUS: Knowing that you have probably heard, or may even hold such questions yourself, we are trying to help people find God’s answers. Which takes us to our question for today.
ANNOUNCER: Which is: Does God know if someone is going to heaven or hell before they are even born? And, does He decide?
KLAUS: And I have a little more than three minutes to answer? OK, here goes. First, God knows everything. He is omniscient. That means He knows, before anyone is born, whether they are going to go to heaven or hell.
ANNOUNCER: And then, does He also decide in advance where someone is going to end up?
KLAUS: No. Well, Mark – I guess that takes care of our Question and Answer segment for today! Anything else?
ANNOUNCER: Well, I don’t think we can get off quite that easy. Could you explain further?
KLAUS: Yes, and that’s the hard part. I’ll do my best. The Lord knows all things, including who is going to be saved and who will be lost. It would seem to follow that, since God is also all-powerful, if He wanted, He could change things. And, recalling last week’s discussion, since not everyone is going to heaven, it would seem that God is responsible for some people going to hell.
ANNOUNCER: Now, is there a problem with that kind of logic?
KLAUS: There is. Let’s start with the basics.
One: “God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Paul wrote that to his young friend, Timothy.
Second: so that everyone could be saved, God sent His Son into the world. Anyone who has faith in Jesus as his or her heaven-sent substitute and Savior is freed from eternal death and damnation.
Three: The Bible teaches that some people are elect. Paul wrote about that to the church in Ephesus. He said: “(God) chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Now, here’s where it gets sticky. God knows who is going to be saved, but He doesn’t force people to be saved. In Christ, He freely provided all that was necessary for our salvation, and He gives us the right to refuse. As one of my professors used to say, “Everyone has the God-given right to go to hell if they want to.”ANNOUNCER: So, if people are saved…
KLAUS: It is because of what God has, in His grace, done for them through Jesus Christ.
ANNOUNCER: And if they’re lost?
KLAUS: They have to take the blame for rejecting the gift of salvation Jesus has won for them.
ANNOUNCER: Now others would say that if God elects some to heaven, it stands to reason He elects the rest to hell.
KLAUS: So it would seem. But the way it seems, is wrong. Although I can only give a very imperfect comparison, let me try to explain things this way. Mark, one time you and I were both teachers. We did our best to educate our students. Did we want them to do good? We did. All of them?
ANNOUNCER: Sure.
KLAUS: And to that end, we taught them all the same, maybe even went out of our way to help those who were struggling. We wanted them to succeed. Did they?
ANNOUNCER: Unfortunately, no. But not because we as teachers wanted them to fail.
KLAUS: So, why did they fail? Well, the vast majority failed because they didn’t necessarily want what we were trying to give them. I think it’s the same way with God. He wants everybody to pass, get to heaven. He has given His Son so that every one can get there. He has, by the power of Word and Sacrament, made it possible for anyone to be saved. And He’s decreed some will make it. But others, because they choose not to, will not pass. They will fail and end up in condemnation. Let me say it one more time. If we’re saved it is because what God has in His grace done for us through Jesus Christ. And if they’re lost, they have to take the blame for rejecting the gift of Salvation Jesus has won for them.
ANNOUNCER: That’s really hard to understand.
KLAUS: It is. We’re trying to explain a divine truth with human logic, and that’s hard… well, it’s impossible to do. Let’s try to simplify. God wants you, me, and everyone in this world to be saved. That’s why He sent His Son. It’s why He sends the Holy Spirit. It’s why He has given us the Word. Don’t slam the door of salvation in His face.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Let the Little Children Come to Me” by Ted Beck. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Go, My Children, with My Blessing” by Arthur Preuss, Sr. From Sacred Organ Originals by Arthur L. Preuss (© 2006 Arthur L. Preuss, Sr.) Used by permission
“Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices” by Michael Burkhardt. From Hymn Improvisations, vol. 1 by Michael Burkhardt (© 1993 MorningStar Music Publishers)