Receiving Children

Jesus has His arms around a child. He has physically received this child. Did Jesus also demonstrate that His heart with with this child? Did He show He valued this child? Did He show that this child was not a bother, but a treasure? Was Jesus giving the apostles a paradign shift in thinking regarding the kingdom. Did Andrew suddenly get a vision of having a fleet of Joy Wagons (the precursor to the Joy Buses) that would go around and pick up children for church? Maybe Matthew got a flash of inspiration for a new school called Sunday School! Did James envision VBS? Who knows what kinds of ideas may have been birthed that day in the hearts of the disciples. What I do know is that just like with women, Jesus was creating a new way of looking at children.

Receiving children got elevated into an elite class of the kinds of things we are to receive in this new kingdom that Jesus was founding. The kingdom of God itself was to received as we would a child (Mark.10:15). Moses received "living oracles" to pass on to the people. (Acts 7:38) We are implored not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Cor.6:1) We are admonished to receive the gospel, not a different one. (2 Cor.11:4)  Our soil must do more than receive the word with joy, it must be prepared to allow this word to grow in our lives. (Luke 8:13) The Thessalonians received the word with joy and with much tribulation. (1 Thess.1:6) (BTW compare this with the parable of the Sower and know why Paul was so concerned that they might fall away due to this persecution.) The key was they accepted the word as it really was, the word of God which performed its work in those who believed it.(1 Thess.2:13) Those of us who have the Spirit also can receive the things of the Spirit. (1 Cor.2:14) My point is that in the kingdom there are many things we are to receive, and children are one of them.

The first thought I had with this teaching of Jesus was the last verse of Malachi. The Elijah who was coming, whom we know as John the Baptist, had as his mission to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the children to their fathers. Kingdom business is about reconnecting fathers with their children. Now imagine that the child who Jesus stood in their midst that day was Peter's child. Could Jesus have been making a very pointed point with the apostles that kingdom living must include our children. Specifically, "Peter, do you see your child? When you give this child attention and play with him, and show him that he is important, you are doing kingdom business, and creating true greatness for yourself and your child." Perhaps Jesus was showing the apostles that the next generation of kingdom people were right in their own homes, not just out there in the streets. Taking time to explain kingdom business to our children is just as important as preaching to the multitudes.