Click here for audio
NRS Mark 10:13 People were
bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the
disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was
indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not
stop them; for it is too such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child
will never enter it." 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid
his hands on them, and blessed them.
A Year 5 teacher
was giving her Primary pupils a lesson in developing logical thinking.
'This is the
scene', said the teacher.
'A man is
standing up in a boat in the middle of a river, fishing. He loses his balance,
falls in, and begins splashing and yelling for help.
His wife hears
the commotion, knows he can't swim, and runs down to the bank. Why do you think
she ran to the bank?'
A little girl
raised her hand and asked, 'To draw out all his savings?'
The young
couple invited their aged Vicar for Sunday lunch. While they were in the
kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son, what they were
having.
'Goat, 'the
little boy replied.
'Goat?' replied
the startled man of the cloth, 'Are you sure about that?'
'Yep', said the
youngster. 'I definitely heard Dad say to Mum, we might as well have the old
goat for dinner today as any other day.'
Pastor Leonard
Sweet tells about a little boy who was born blind. His mother and father were
heartsick, and like all parents, they prayed and hoped for some miracle. They wanted
so much for their son to be able to see. Then one day when the little boy was 5
years old, the community doctor told them that he had heard about a surgeon at
Massachusetts General Hospital who was specializing in a new surgical procedure
that might just work for their son that might just give their little boy his
eyesight. The parents became excited at the prospect, but when they
investigated further and discovered the cost of the surgery and the travel and
the hospital expense involved, they became deflated because they were not
people of means at all. But word got out in the community and their church
rallied to help them. In a short period of time, the
money was
raised to send them to Boston for the surgery. On the morning they were to
leave for Boston, the little boy gathered his things together including his
tattered little teddy bear. It had an ear chewed off, was missing an eye, and
was bursting at the seams. His mother said, “Son, why don’t you leave that old
teddy bear at home? He’s about worn out. Maybe we can buy you a new
one in Boston
or when we get back.” But he said, “No, I need it.” So off to Boston they went.
He held tightly to that teddy bear all the way. The surgeon sensed how
important the teddy bear was to the little boy, so he allowed the boy to keep
the bear with him throughout all the many examinations prior to surgery. On the
morning of the surgery, the hospital staff brought in two surgical gowns – one
for the little boy and a smaller version for the teddy bear – and off to the
operating room they went, a little blind boy on a stretcher holding on dearly
to his beloved
teddy bear. The
surgery went well. The doctor felt good about what they were able to
accomplish. “I think he will be able to see,” said the surgeon, “but we won’t
know for sure until we remove the bandages in a few days.” Finally the day came
for the doctor to remove the bandages. The nurses and interns stood with the
parents as the surgeon slowly unwound the gauze from the boy’s eyes. Miracle of
miracles! The little boy could see! For the first time in his life he saw his
mother’s face, he saw his dad and his doctor; he saw flowers and candy and
balloons and the people who had cared for him. For the first time in his life,
he saw his teddy bear. It was a joyous celebration! When it came time for the
boy to leave the hospital, his surgeon came into the room. The doctor had grown
so attached to the little boy that he had to busy himself with those
insignificant gestures that we use when we are trying to surmount a great wall
of emotion. They said their good-byes with tears of joy all around and then the
doctor turned to leave. The little boy called him back. “Doctor,” the little
boy said. “I want you to have this.” He was holding out the teddy bear! The
doctor tried to refuse, but the little boy insisted. “Doctor, I don’t have any
money. So I want to give you my teddy bear to pay you for helping me so see. I
want you to have it. It’s my way of saying, ‘Thanks.’” The doctor took the
teddy bear and shook the little boy’s hand and wished him well. For a long time
after that, on the 10th floor of the White Building of Massachusetts General
Hospital, there was on display, a teddy bear, bursting at the seams with a
chewed-off ear and one eye. And there was a sign under it written in the hand
of that surgeon. It read: “This is the highest fee I have ever received for
professional services rendered.” (from Leonard Sweet, Sweet’s Soul Café, Feb.
1995, p. 6).
This morning we are
going to explore this piece of scripture. Jesus Disciples were so intent on
protecting him that they did not want the little children interrupting his
important messages and ministry. But Jesus had other ideas on that day. He
reminded them and us that it is the children who have much to teach us about
faith and love. Like the little boy in the story, we must learn to give up
something precious in order to receive something that will change our life.
What are you holding onto like that Teddy Bear, something you cannot seem to
part with and means more than anything else that you have? Would you give it up
for the ability to see? How about the ability to feel or hear or love? How
about for the precious gift of forgiveness and redemption and eternal life?
Some years ago
scientists placed children of all ages in a room with toys in the middle and
the chairs surrounding the toys but facing away from them. The children came
from all ethnic backgrounds and they all spoke different languages and could
not understand each other. But within minutes they had turned their chairs
around, gotten in the floor and had a found a way of communicating so that they
could play with each other. So scientists tried the same experiment with
adults. The adults never spoke to one another, never attempted to communicate
and the test ended in silence. Children remind us that God gives us many ways
to communicate and intended us for relationship with one another. So we must
find a way. And the more we search for ways, the easier it gets to be.
How many times
in the recent past in churches across the country have people complained about
the little children. Yes, they can be disruptive and they can be loud, but we
were all little children once. Some of us can remember that better than others
and some of us have never completely grown out of that stage of our lives. Ask
Bonnie, she will tell you I’m just a big kid at times. I believe it is what
makes life around here fun and adventuring. I have served churches where
children were not wanted in the sanctuary during worship service. In fact I remember
once when a young mother stood up to leave because the child had gotten fussy.
I stopped the service, got her a rocker to use and soon the child was resting
in her arms and everyone was happy. At least until the matriarch of the church
gave me the what for up one side and down the other about getting that rocker.
But you know what, that mother came back the next week and the week after and
came to Christ I believe in part as a result of getting that rocker. Yes, it is true
that small children can be disrupting to a worship service. But I am reminded
of the little guy who used to love to get in a chair up on the pulpit and talk
into the microphone. One day it was turned off before he got there so when he
got up to speak nothing came out except the enchantment he brought when he
raised up his arms and asked what happened. Just maybe Jesus knew what he was
doing when he welcomed the young children rather than sending them away.
So what does this
message really mean to you and me? Jesus is telling us that unless we learn to
love God like we did when we were little children; we have little chance of
getting into heaven. Faith is not about just believing that something is true,
it is about trusting God to do the right thing at the right time. A little child
can teach us about trusting. They trust us parents not to harm them, to take
care of their needs and to love them. Ever had a child hug you for no reason
other than that child either thought you needed a hug or needed one themselves?
Children can teach us how to love. While we get caught up in perceptions of
what other people might think children just do without regard to what someone
might think. Children want attention. Ever watch a child check out a crowd?
They don’t look at us to see what we are doing. Rather, they look at us to see
who is looking at them. Maybe we need to spend our time in the company of
people who we can communicate with, commune with and make relationships with.
Children live each day without regard to what is going to happen tomorrow. They
aren’t interested in the future, only in the present. Tell a child they are
going to the store or to get ice cream and you will spend the next period of
time answering why you aren’t already there.
I heard a story the
other day about a little boy who was three who had a terminal illness. His
parents had gone to great length at shielding him from discussions about death
and his condition. One day he told his parents that Jesus was coming to get him
and that they did not need to be afraid. That he would be in heaven with Jesus
and that there were wolves there but that they were friendly and you could pet
them, he was afraid of wolves. His parents just kind of blew it off as well as
the staff of the hospital. One day he told his parents that he needed to go to
the gift shop to buy something for someone who needed something special so down
they went. He bought this small stuffed pony and said it was for the little boy
in PEDS. As they returned to his room his mother asked the nurse who was in
PEDS and the reply was that no-one was in there at the moment. Shortly after
that the little boy passed away and as the parents were cleaning up his
belongings his mother found the little pony. She told the nurse that she could
save it for a little child at which point the nurse said that a little boy has
just been brought into PEDS from emergency surgery.
What if we could
have the faith of a little child to see, to hear and to touch Jesus? What pony might we leave for those who need it
most?
No comments:
Post a Comment