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Today’s heroes are children because they shows us the gift of Childhood
Essential Teachers notes:
This is kind of a small passage, squished into the chapter and both overlooked and over lifted by different circles in the church. While there is deep theological meaning in Jesus choosing to engage in the marginalized and powerless parts of society here, there is also the much more simple message of welcome that so often children question. It’s important to stress after the story that in some cultures today childhood is much more valued, and that even then children were highly valued by their parents even if not in the wider society.
Main Passage : Luke 18
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Have you ever tried to talk to someone who is really busy?
Did they listen?
Did they stop doing things for long enough to talk to you?
Asher and his friends were playing a game outside his house in the shade. He was winning. Asher’s father was travelling with a caravan and his mother was visiting friends. His older sister was watching the game closely, but she wouldn’t play because she was waiting for the baby to wake up.
They heard the crowd approaching long before they saw it. People were pushing and shoving and calling out all sorts trying to get into the middle. It must be a holy man thought Asher, only holy men would have both religious leaders and the sick follow after them. The noise woke the baby and his sister ran to pick it up.
“Lets go see” said Asher eagerly. His friend nodded and they waved to his sister to say they were going.
“Wait!” she cried out, “I’m supposed to be watching you too!”
“Then come with us” called Asher, “perhaps the holy man will bless the baby?”
Sighing his sister loosened one hand from the baby clothes, gripped her skirt up and ran to catch up with them.
As they got nearer they could see that the group moved very slowly indeed. The holy man was Jesus, they had heard of him, everyone had heard of the miracle man. He’d healed the sick and made food multiply. More sick people were trying to get his attention to ask for healing. Some people were trying to get his opinion on big difficult questions. Then there were some big men who looked like fishermen, standing really near Jesus. They seemed to be gently pushing people out of the way so Jesus could continue to walk. Those men must be his disciples thought Asher.
As Jesus came near enough for them to catch glimpses of his face they watched a lady with a tiny baby pushed her way through the crowd.
“What do you want with Jesus?” asked one of the followers with a voice that carried over the noise of the crowd “is the child sick?” the lady looked at this huge man standing like a wall before her. Asher couldn’t hear her reply but he heard the disciple’s response. “Stop bothering the teacher, can’t you see he is too busy to be blessing every child who comes his way!”
Asher heard his sisters sigh, he heard her feet scrape in the stones as she turned around. He knew in a moment her free hand would grab his robe to pull him with her. But still he watched, waiting to see what the lady would do.
“Stop that” came a loud clear voice that was so gentle and yet full of authority. The whole crowd stopped. Asher sister stopped. For a second it felt like even the air seemed to stop moving.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not get in the way.” came the voice again
The woman pushed past the disciple and placed her baby in the arms of the teacher, but Jesus wasn’t looking at the baby, he was looking through a gap in the crowd right at Asher. Asher grabbed his sister and friend and pushed his way through. He had been invited, told to come. Nobody invited children to meet someone this important, nobody. They were children, in their world they didn’t have anything they could offer, and yet Jesus wanted to meet them.
Jesus looked at the confused disciples faces as they watched every child from the crowd run to their teacher.“ Truly I tell you” said Jesus, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” If the disciples didn’t understand then Asher did, Jesus was offering something like a gift, Asher didn’t need to give anything in return. Being a child with nothing to offer wasn’t a disadvantage, it was a blessing.
Today’s heroes are children because they shows us the gift of Childhood
