What Did Jesus Do About Children? Series

What Did Jesus do about children? As a church, what do we do about children? In our families, what do we do about children?

Jesus did two things. He blessed the children, and he asked his disciples to learn from the children. Jesus very much wanted children to be seen, and he wanted the trusting, forgiving and learning faith of little children to be seen and heard and understood.

How can we bless children? We can bless and encourage their parents for starters, but equally important we must talk to children as real people and we must pray for them and pray with them in order to bless them, in our worship services, in our social gatherings, in our families, around our meal tables and in our schools.

How can we learn from children? We can consider the way that they trust, forgive and learn. Do we?

Jewish families in the time of Jesus, and Jewish families today are very well acquainted with these words from Deuteronomy chapter 6 (6: 4 to 7): ’Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be up on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.’

Whilst away in Israel I was touched and challenged by the fact that every Friday night at the start of the evening meal in a Jewish family, the father will pray first of all for his wife, and then individually for each of his children. It’s a practice that I want to learn from, and I believe that there are lessons we can learn as a church and in our families. We must pray with and for children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces and friends’ children; and we must learn from them! Amen.