Sacred Path

In our text Jesus connects relationship with Him and His Father with one's relationship to a child. It seems that a child can be a sacred path to the heart of God. We often see how a new born baby changes the lives of the parents. Suddenly spiritually indifferent men, when they hold innocence in their arms, break down and begin to think of their own need to be held by a heavenly Father. Mark said it this way: "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me." (Mk.9:37)  This was not easy for me to get my head around. But I think I am beginning to see what Jesus is saying. Children are innocent, pure, and real. They have little pretence. Because of their lack of power, we have to adjust ourselves to the child, their needs and interests. We listen. We find ways to connect on their level. We watch closely their moves, not only to keep them safe, but just in awe of this cute and marvelous person who toddles in front of us. We are fascinated with little children. Look how we talk about them, photograph them, spend our time caring for them. The responses called out of us toward children are the same responses Jesus seeks to call from us in regard to Himself and the Father. In the first case we have to put ourselves in the role of God the Father toward our children, but in the other case we put ourselves in the place of the child toward our Father. In this our children are training us to be more childlike with our Father.

Jesus talks of receiving a child in His name. What does this mean? I know we are to do everything in the name of Jesus, by His power and authority, but what does that mean in regard to receiving a child? The Name brings us into the realm of the authority of Christ. Remember there were some folks doing miracles in the Name of Jesus, and the disciples wanted to tell them to stop? Actually this happens next in the text of Mark (9:38ff). We will talk more about this, but notice this is in the context of talking about little children. A little child can be taught to do things in the Name of Jesus. They pray in Jesus' Name from the time they can speak the Name of Jesus. We do not hinder them or stop them from doing this, even though they may not know fully what that means. We want them to enter into the realm of Jesus' authority, to learn to respect it, and obey it even before they know what this means. But, as I teach my children to do this, I am stuck in the middle between the child and Jesus/Father. How can I encourage my child to do things under the authority of Christ without it causing me to think about my relationship with Christ. So when I accept a child, my child, my grandchild, an abused and neglected child in the name of Jesus, I am also accepting the place and role of Jesus and the Father into my life. Children are a sacred path for me to walk in my relationship with Jesus and God. This is why, as Jesus will continue to teach us, that we must not hinder these children from coming to Him, for in doing so we lose our own path to the Father.