Let The Children Come to Him (Mark #34)

Last Sunday was a highlight for us. There’s still a ring on the carpet from where our baptism tank sat, and it was a joy to watch four people get baptized.

If you were with us and left right away, you may be wondering — four? I thought there were three.

That’s because right after the gathering ended, one of our young men came up and said, “I need to get baptized.”

He didn’t get to share his story that day, so I asked him to share it this week. He described being raised in a Christian home but never feeling especially deep in his faith — excited about heaven, but not nearly as taken with God as with the idea of heaven. That changed when he watched three others share their faith and step into the water. He said he felt God ask whether he wanted to follow him, and he could almost feel the conflict inside — and after about five powerful minutes, God won him over.

You have no idea how much courage that takes. I’m proud of him for surrendering to the Spirit and listening. I think God has significant plans for that young man, and I’m going to enjoy watching it unfold.

A Calendar That Worked Out

Last week I confessed early in the message that when we set that date for baptisms, I checked my preaching calendar and found a conflict. The scheduled topic was divorce — which does not pair naturally with a baptism service. I seriously considered changing it, and for various reasons we went ahead, and by God’s grace it turned out to be a beautiful morning.

Something similar happened this week. Several weeks ago a family in our church asked about scheduling a child dedication, and told me to pick whatever date worked. I looked at the calendar for today’s date and found this passage waiting.

Because today we get to hear Jesus say: let the children come to me.

The Passage

Mark 10:13–16. People were bringing children to Jesus so that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them:

Let the children come to me. Do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Why They Wanted the Touch

Throughout Mark we’ve watched Jesus perform remarkable miracles. He stood up in a boat and calmed a storm with a word. He took a boy’s lunch and fed five thousand people, then turned around and did it again for four thousand. He healed the sick, made the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear.

And some of those miracles happened with nothing more than a touch.

So it’s no surprise that people — the text doesn’t say parents, but we can safely assume — are bringing their children to Jesus simply to be touched.

Maybe some of these children were sick and the parents hoped for physical healing. But there’s a good chance most were perfectly healthy and the parents simply wanted a touch. Maybe they thought it would ensure a long life — infant mortality was far higher then. Maybe they hoped it would bring their children wealth someday, or prominence, or that their child might grow into a great religious figure like this teacher.

They wanted a blessing. It’s a bit like parents nudging a child toward a department store Santa — except they don’t even want the photo. Just the touch.

Why the Disciples Objected

Mark tells us the disciples rebuked them, but doesn’t tell us why — he keeps the focus on Jesus. All we get is that one phrase.

Maybe they held the old view that children should be seen and not heard. Maybe they absorbed the assumption in parts of that world that children weren’t fully persons until a certain age. Maybe they simply calculated that children contributed nothing and therefore weren’t worth the time.

We don’t know for certain. But I have a suspicion, and it comes from the surrounding context.

Back in chapter 9, the disciples were arguing about who among them was the greatest. Not our polite version where we insist someone else is better — theirs was openly about power, position, and prestige. You’re good, but I’m slightly better.

And Jesus shut it down by picking up a child, setting the child on his lap, and saying: you want greatness? Take care of the least of these. Care for the little ones, the weak. That is greatness in my kingdom.

They clearly didn’t absorb it — because a few weeks later, further into chapter 10, James and John will ask Jesus for the most prominent seats in his kingdom, which will infuriate the other ten.

It Was Ingrained in Them

Why do they keep gravitating to prominence? Because of how they were raised. In their world, greatness meant power — political power, physical power, sheer force of personality.

When I was nine I joined a summer swim team. My school was too small for a real program, so this was a six- or seven-week league. And we were taught that on freestyle, when your arm came over, your thumb entered the water first — the idea being that you’d slice into the water rather than push it away.

What coaches eventually discovered is that all that rotation put excessive stress on the shoulder. So the guidance changed: fingertips first.

But it had been drilled into me from age nine to eighteen. When I concentrated, I could do it the new way, though it felt strange. And the moment my mind wandered during a normal workout, I’d revert — thumb first. And sure enough, I ended up with shoulder problems.

Why did I revert? Because that was what got ingrained when I was a kid.

The disciples had it ingrained in them that greatness equals power. And they had all the confirmation they needed — because Jesus had power. Standing up in a boat and stilling a storm is power. Teaching with an authority that draws crowds from every direction is power. No one who ever walked this earth displayed power like Jesus.

So they cannot wait for his kingdom. Jesus on the throne, dignitaries arriving, ruling the world. And someone that important does not have time for children.

So they rebuke the parents.

“Let”

And verse 14 says that when Jesus saw it, he was indignant — angry, frustrated, deeply disappointed in his own disciples.

Let’s break down what he says.

First: let. Allow. Permit. Open the door.

Let whom? The children.

We so often overlook kids. Jesus doesn’t. He sees them.

Why? Because Jesus, as God the Son, was present at creation when the Father, Son, and Spirit said, let us make humanity in our image. Which means everyone bearing human DNA carries the image of God — and therefore matters deeply to him.

Children bear human DNA. The image of God is in them. So Jesus says: let them come.

Why We Fight for Our Kids Ministry

This is exactly why we’ve been so committed to our children’s ministry. In the early days we had almost no volunteers and it was genuinely hard — and week after week we kept doing it.

My wife, who would not describe herself as naturally called to lead elementary students, led it week in and week out and did a phenomenal job. Kids were falling in love with Jesus. They were excited. They were having fun.

It mattered, because those kids mattered. We never wanted children walking in here feeling like they simply had to endure everything until they grew up and finally got to have church. We’re committed to a space where they have every opportunity to encounter Jesus and the gospel.

Parents, you’re always free to bring your children in with us — we love having them here. But know that the ministry exists intentionally, to help children come to Jesus.

Taking This a Step Further

Let me push this somewhere that will be uncomfortable for some.

This truth — that children bear the image of God — is why abortion is wrong. It is sin, because these are human beings with human DNA who therefore bear God’s image. They are not to be overlooked. They are not an inconvenience to be set aside. They matter.

And I want to put grace all over this. If you have had an abortion, or if you ever pressured someone toward one, hear me clearly: yes, that was sin — and your sin is forgiven through the cross. That moment does not have to define you. Let the cross define you. Through it, all of your sin is forgiven. Even that.

But I can’t simply pass over it, because here is Jesus saying: let the children come to me. They matter to me. My image is in them, and I want to restore it. Jesus went to a cross to die even for children.

Want evidence the gospel works in kids? Look at last Sunday. It was children who led the way. God was working in them, their eyes were opening to the gospel, and they were willing to stand in front of a room full of intimidating adults and say: I follow him.

“Come to Me”

Notice the next part. Not come and see. Not stand at the edge and someday, when you’re grown, this can be yours. Not merely come here.

Come to me.

And verse 16 shows Jesus taking them into his arms. He delights in them.

In our day, we’re rightly wary of an adult man gathering unfamiliar children onto his lap. That’s not what’s happening here. Jesus loves these children purely. He is going to die for their sin. They bear his image. And he takes genuine delight in them.

“To Such Belongs the Kingdom”

But there’s another reason for that delight, and he states it: to such belongs the kingdom of God.

God’s kingdom is for children. That’s why we were entirely comfortable baptizing children last week. The kingdom belongs to them.

And it doesn’t merely belong to them — they become the prototype. Verse 15: whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

It’s amusing, really. We adults get frustrated with children and want to say, “Grow up.” And here is Jesus, frustrated with a group of adults, essentially saying: grow down.

Is he telling them to be more immature? More foolish? To stop thinking things through? Not at all.

Children Are Powerless

What he means is that you must become like a child — because children are powerless.

Here are disciples convinced everything is about power, and Jesus says: actually, the way into my kingdom is powerlessness.

Think it through. A one-year-old cannot feed himself. Eventually he’ll develop the motor skills to get cereal into his mouth, but he can’t open the box. He can’t operate anything in the kitchen. He cannot make it happen. And if a stray dog came at him outside, he’d have no way to protect himself. He is completely helpless.

And when you are powerless, the only thing you have left is trust.

That’s all a child has. A child must trust that Mom will feed him. That Dad will protect him. That when he wakes up, they’ll still be there. He is powerless, so trust is everything.

And Jesus says: to enter my kingdom, you have to become like that. You have to recognize that you are powerless.

That is deeply offensive in a culture where everyone is trying to build a platform, become an influencer, and gather attention. Jesus is saying: I don’t care how important you are. To enter my kingdom you must realize you have nothing.

Which Is Why We Dedicate Parents Too

Today a family in our church is dedicating their daughter. And part of that dedication is the parents recognizing that they are powerless.

If you’re a parent, you know the feeling. There are moments of complete helplessness and cluelessness.

For me it arrived the moment they first placed my child in my arms and I thought: I have no idea what I’m doing. Why wasn’t there a class for this?

Then comes discipline. I remember my two-year-old sitting there absolutely refusing to put the blocks in the bag, and thinking: how do I even handle this? She’s too young for most consequences. What do I actually do?

And then your child asks you a question and you have no answer.

Those are the moments when you’re powerless and have no choice but to trust God.

So what these parents are doing today is saying: we’re powerless. We’re clueless. There are moments we have no idea what to do — which is why we need the power of God. You entrusted this child to us, so we now give ourselves to you.

That’s why we don’t only call this a child dedication. It’s a parent dedication. The little girl isn’t deciding anything today. Her parents are — committing themselves before God and this church family to raise her so she’ll see the gospel at work in their lives and marriage, and have every opportunity to follow Jesus herself.

And because we do this together, our church family commits alongside them: to pray for them, celebrate their joys, support them through pain, and back their desire to see their children follow Jesus. Because raising children is an extraordinary privilege — and it is daunting.

A Prayer for That Family

Father, thank you for bringing this family into our church family, and thank you for the children you’ve given them.

Thank you for the call you’ve placed on these parents to know you and follow you. They do it imperfectly, but I know their heart is to put you first.

So let their daughter watch them stumble and struggle. Let her see their powerlessness and helplessness — and in that process, watch them trust you. And as she sees their trust line up with their words, let her know it’s true.

Open her eyes and her heart at the right time to understand how much you love her, that your image is in her, and that Jesus died for her so that image could be restored — so she can go into this world and be a blessing.

May her life bring great glory to you. Not glory to her parents, not glory to herself, but to you. Let the way she lives and speaks and treats people point to you, so that people find themselves drawn not merely to her but ultimately to Christ.

And help us as a church family to surround them — to support their marriage, their parenting, and their work, and to help them become the followers of Jesus you’ve called them to be, so they can be the parents you created them to be and lead their children to know you.

Now Let’s Dedicate Ourselves

Today isn’t only about one little girl, however delightful she is. It isn’t only about her parents. It’s about Christ.

So let’s move into another dedication — our own.

If you’re not a follower of Jesus, I’m genuinely glad you’re here. I want you to know that God’s image is in you. You bear human DNA, and therefore you matter deeply to him.

But your sin has kept you separated from him, and you are helpless to get yourself into that kingdom. And Jesus wants you there. You matter to him. He is the one saying let them come.

That’s why Jesus went to the cross to die your death — so your sin could be forgiven and washed away and you could come running into the arms of your heavenly Father.

So take a few quiet moments and pray. Commit your life to God. Confess your sin. Accept what Jesus did on your behalf. Give yourself to him.

And If You Already Have

Many of you have already had that moment. It marked you. So let’s dedicate ourselves again to following him.

And that dedication means confessing our helplessness — that even now, having already placed our faith in Jesus, we still cannot do any of this in our own strength. We need him. We need his Spirit.

So we come saying: God, I am helpless. But you are with me, and you are strong, and with you all things are possible.

As you take the bread, recognize it as the body of Jesus, broken for you. As you take the cup, recognize his blood, shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Take those into yourself and say: God, your story — what you did for me — is now part of me. This is who I am.

Let this be a dedication where you say: I’m helpless, and I trust you.

Because that is the very best place to be.