Jesus is making His way to Jerusalem. That is what He has been doing for many of these weeks in which we have seen Him in the Gospel of St. Mark. His reputation has been well established: His miracles attest to His authority — His teaching attests to His wisdom. People have crowded around Him no matter where He went. But as His popularity has risen among the people of Israel, so has the hatred and opposition from the religious establishment — the Scribes and the Pharisees. Again and again they have tried to challenge Him and His Mission, and they do so — unsurprisingly — again this morning — this time using Moses and his allowance for divorce to try and trick Jesus.
But Jesus takes their disingenuous question, and goes further back than Moses — all the way to the Creation of Man and Woman — and tells them that it was not meant to be so — but rather that God is the One Who brings man and woman together in marriage and that it is only the hardness of man’s heart — the reality of sin — that thwarts God’s plan for marriage. Then Jesus teaches that — not only are husband and wife to love each other as intended from the beginning — but they are to love the children that those unions bring forth. Because, even for the children — indeed, especially for them — Jesus came. And in coming for the least, He shows that He came for all.
These parents were bringing their children to Jesus so that He might bless them. They knew that this Jesus — Who was doing and teaching these mighty things — had not just come for them, but for the little children. But the disciples — who had been so worried about greatness not long before — were having none of that. They didn’t approve of the seemingly insignificant children taking up Jesus’ time. St. Mark tells us that this made Jesus “indignant!” “Let the little 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.”
Jesus came for all. The disciples — still hung up on greatness and power and might — did not understand this. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were not just for the great and powerful: He came to justify the world — we call that Objective Justification! In Jesus — the sin of the world is forgiven — all people are justified before God. The Son of God came to seek and save the lost — from the least to the greatest. He came for all!
The disciples had failed terribly to see why Jesus had come and just what this ‘Kingdom of God’ was all about. He would teach them — and us — with the little child. First of all, the Kingdom of God (God’s gracious rule in our hearts and minds) is most definitely for children. This is for all who deny children the gift of Holy Baptism or who follow the lie that says that parents should not force church on their children, but rather let them chose for themselves when they grow up. Both of these lies deny Jesus’ words — God’s gracious rule — His Kingdom — belongs to little children — through Baptism — and through hearing the Word in God’s Holy House. Jesus said, “Let the little children come.” That is not a request — but a divine imperative and invitation that has the full force of a command! Jesus commands parents: Let the little children to me, and forbid them not!
The faith of the little child is precisely the kind of faith that God looks for in all His believers: trusting in Him to give Him all good things. This what we call Subjective Justification: the sin of the world is declared forgiven in Jesus Christ — but that forgiveness is applied to the individual when he trusts in Jesus alone - trusts like a little child.
Like a little child, we are unable to help ourselves — unable to save ourselves. Left to our own, we are spiritually blind, dead, and enemies of God. We cannot make a decision to follow Him, we cannot use the Law to clean ourselves up and make ourselves presentable to Him. All our own efforts at righteousness collapse around us and are as filthy rags. But faith is given — a gift of the Spirit — no matter what our age — and makes a child of us — trusting in God alone.
To all — Jesus’ word rings out, “Let the little children come to ME!” Little children who are 9 seconds old or 9 decades old. For all, through water and the Word the Spirit still comes bringing the gift of faith — the gift of trust in the Savior Who came for all. Parents — bring your children to Christ, to the Font, to hear the Word, to the Altar — for the Kingdom of God belongs to them. Do not deny the ability to receive it! Adults — nurture your faith and trust as little children and come also, to return to your Baptism, to hear the Word, to come to the Altar; “Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Take His Word to heart — trust it — like a little child.
