MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St.Mark

St. Mark 10:13-16

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OFTEN THERE grows up in society attitudes which are accepted and practised as good, but which in fact are evil in the sight of God. We have an example of such an attitude in this short passage in the way the disciples reacted against people bringing their children to Jesus for his blessing. The disciples not only tried to stop these people, but rebuked them, that is they criticised them as doing something wrong.

The disciples were people of their age and culture, and there can be no doubt that they were expressing the cultural attitude of their society. Society seemed to have come to the conclusion that children were insignificant in the overall structure of society, and should not intrude on the time of their elders and betters. It could be that they did not love their children, though this is unlikely, but plainly children were of insignificant value in the tapestry of life while they were children, They were considered as having little to offer and therefore should not intrude on adult life. I guess that we can see a similarity in the attitude of our society in the last century.

Jesus was indignant at this attitude, and made his point by welcoming the children and giving his time and attention to them. Jesus makes two points. The first is that the attitude reflected in the disciples keeping children away from Jesus was contrary to the attitude of God. God welcomes children. The Kingdom of God is for them as much as anyone else. Jesus saw this attitude to children as it was, which was a product of cultural prejudice. In the Kingdom of God children have as much to offer as any adult, and have an equal place.

In this we see that the love of God and his grace reaches out to all, and specially to those whom society despise and reject. The mind of God is higher and different to the mind of man. It is so hard for us, even when we are born again, to separate from our thinking and doing, what is purely from our earthly culture, and to see when our earthly attitudes run contrary to the love of God. Often Christians have held to wrong attitudes as illustrated by these disciples in their attitude to children, and justified them as right and biblical, when Jesus tells us they are not.

The other thing Jesus points out is that children are not insignificant, and they have things to teach even the adult world, which we would do well to listen to and learn from. The attitude of children to God, the attitude of childlike trust, is the one Jesus specially underlines. Jesus tells us that the only way we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven is to come with the attitude of a child. This has nothing to do with ignorance and childishness, but all to do with a right attitude to God.

A child does not question God, but accepts him and believes in him. The child does not question the power and dominion of God but believes and accepts it. The child accepts that obedience is due to God, but also that God loves and cares, and shows grace and mercy to those who humbly call upon him. The child does not put this into conscious thought, nor is the child able to articulate their attitude to God, but the child expresses this in the trustful humble way they trust in God and depend upon his love and goodness.

Jesus says here, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." This is a very solemn truth. There is no room for arrogance and pride in our approach to God, which is so often the adult syndrome. We must come to God empty handed knowing there is nothing of merit in us that we can bring to God or that deserves his favour. We must come like the child, not only with no merit to plead, but also with childlike trust in his mercy and grace towards us. Unless we come like this to God, we will miss the door into the kingdom of God, and lose eternal life.

Let us notice lastly the rich blessing we will receive if we come in this childlike way. In verse 16 we read, "And Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them". What wonderful blessing this is. There is no richer in all the earth. By this act of Jesus we see the children accepted in grace and bestowed with every grace of salvation. The blessing of Jesus is the embrace of his love where he makes over to the one so blessed all the benefits of his life and death, which can be summed up in the gift of eternal life.