Advent Day 6 - the children

Mark 10:13-16

          In case you didn't catch this very real and contemporary moment of scripture, read it again. You have the soon to be leaders of the fledgling church, Jesus is very much alive and desperately trying to teach them all they need to know, things that we all need to know for our salvation. Jesus is showing everyone what he is all about and perhaps unknown to the Apostles yet, Jesus is giving everyone a never before glimpse of how God sees things.

           Let's begin with the admonition to be childlike. Any negative that is attributed to children is taught or learned from parents and adults. Children are open, they are filled with awe, they give unconditional love and have a hunger to learn. Can we say these are characteristics of ourselves?

            Second, and quite sadly, there are these soon to be leaders who have not learned how open and all embracing Jesus ( God ) is. Jesus does not turn away, he embraces and loves. There is no place for rubrics, rules or whose children are they? No questions like, have they been good little boys and girls? No editing, no filtering, just a warm and loving embrace. Have the churches of the world learned this lesson even now, so many thousands of years later? Have we? Have you? 

           Can we embrace our child within? As we prepare for the coming of the Christ child can we get in touch with our own inner child that would be as embracing and as completely loving as God?

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 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 to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.