Today we hear in the Genesis 2 lesson that Adam did the naming of the animals. I could imagine him saying, “Well you look like a horse and you look like a cow, no offense”. Well the naming of animals is a very important thing. Cows with names are happy and blessed, while anonymous cattle tend to be stressed. A study out of
Well I might be milking this story but there is something about using someone’s name that connects with the person. In the letter to the Hebrews, it says “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son”. God is speaking to us, calling out names. God sent Jesus to walk among us and speak to us, to show us God’s will and God’s way by being in relationship with us. God is not distant, but with us and speaks to us and calls us by name.
Well the people were bringing the little calves or children to see Jesus that he might place his hands upon them, speak a kind word to them and bless them. These children were paidoin – just like the young one’s from Star Wars. But the disciples rebuked these people who were doing this. Who were bringing the kids to Jesus? A man and father would know better than to bring these children to see a Rabbi. The fathers better!
The children were considered to have no power, as were their mothers! Not only did Jesus welcome the children to hear the good news but their mothers as well. “Don’t bother the rabbi”. The disciples’ words would stress while the words of Jesus would bless. Then Jesus rebuked the disciples, one of a few times. Jesus was addressing three main things with the disciples and the culture.
First of all, Jesus was addressing the attitude toward children of the day. We still have it when we think that children should be seen and not heard. Yet we have a child friendly worship space where children make noise. It’s usually the mom’s who the most uncomfortable because they believe their children are embarrassing them. So we use words that stress our children or each other. We remember the saying, sticks and stones may break my bones but words would never hurt me? Words are detrimental because words create stress and they can bless. Stress creates strain and can lead to distress. God did not promise us that we would be exempt from the things that cause stress and anxiety.[2] God doesn’t want us to add to the stress! Evil one uses stress to divide community and families relationships with parent/spouse/child.
The second thing Jesus was addressing was the attitude of children. Many times we think children are innocent. I was telling the parents and Baptism 101 that your goal is to help teach their children that they are not the center of the world. They are born and are so cute and adorable. Yet they scream and you are to reorientate your world to their needs, true. But they think they are the center of the world and your goal is to move their over an eighteen year period toward the place where they see that God has created them and has blessed them to bless others.
The attitude of children that Jesus is lifting up is one of complete dependence
A child needs the parent’s acceptance even when children will do crazy things! We teach them with love and bless them with words of life and not stress them. At the First Communion class yesterday I asked the kids and parents if they make mistakes. We all do and we come together at this table to be fed that we might be sent to bless.
I was picking up Nathan from school on Thursday with Maggie. It was rainy that day and there were puddles in various places. I had an umbrella and Nathan was walking with me to the van when I overheard a mom talking to her son. She was obviously feeling a little stressed by the action of her first grader, probably jumping in a puddle or something terrible. Then she said, “Is that the way someone who has Jesus in his heart should behave?” Wow! A Christian Guilt trip! We all do this as parents to motivate our children but we are all blessed today by Christ’s words of love.
Finally, the third thing Jesus is teaching about children and discipleship is that we should have the attitude of receiving when it comes to God’s reign[3] in our life. Whoever does not receive the
Because finally, Jesus as the rabbi may have been seated when these children were being brought forward like most rabbis were in the synagogue. I could imagine that the came running up to him with his open arms and embraced them and blessed them with words the way we bless our children before they go to bed each night. We say “always remember that Jesus loves you and so do we.”
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