Let the Children Come to Me

Matthew 19:13-15 (English Standard Version)
Let the Children Come to Me
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.


Just wanted to share with you a lesson God taught me today. As frustrated as I am with Lindsey (my oldest) I continue to find myself amazed at how well she listens to the Holy Spirit. When I dropped her off at First Baptist Concord today to go to Western Heights for an inner city mission program I helped start last Summer one of the new adult leaders told me I needed to come sometime and watch her. Instantly I became concerned and asked what was going on. Apparently an older boy (not the normal 5 to 12 year-olds we normally work with there) came down and Lindsey began talking to him. Apparently the FBC leadership thought it was “inappropriate” because she hung out with him and wore his sunglasses. Lindsey knows why she is there and I was shocked she was being inappropriate. I had planned to read her the riot act until I arrived to pick her up.

As I drove into the parking lot Kati, the FBC summer intern for Western Heights, walked over to my truck with a little grin and calmly said, “Hey, that guy we told you about this morning, the one Lindsey talked to yesterday…he accepted Jesus this afternoon. “ As it turns out his mother is dying of cancer. He had been watching this group of suburban white kids playing with the group of inner city kids three days a week and simply felt he needed to come down there and see what was up. What was up was so simple. Our kids were loving the kids in Western Heights as Jesus told them to. When this 18 year old boy came down to investigate he ran smack into the love of Jesus when he met Lindsey. I was in tears.

I have been so frustrated with Lindsey and the fact that she seems to care about nothing. Boy was I wrong. It’s so easy to miss the real picture. She may not care about what we all think she should care about but she certainly cares about what is important to Jesus. She loves others unconditionally. She doesn’t let common “cultural Christian” filters blind her to His purpose. Imagine if Lindsey had ignored him like they wanted her to. Imagine if she hadn’t loved him as Jesus told her to and as the Holy Spirit led her to. Maybe he would have eventually heard the truth and accepted Jesus but maybe, just maybe he never would have.

How sad that concerns for life and safety could have overridden the concerns for a young boys eternal future. How sad that they were willing to turn him away. How sad they had forgotten why they were there. How sad that church has become such "big business" and has clouded vision. How sad they couldn't see past the plans they had and they had made. How sad I couldn't see and had forgotten why we were there.

I asked Lindsey about the whole encounter and she simply said,” I could tell something was wrong. He looked sad. Something told me to go talk to him so I did. I wanted to cheer him up.” Today Lindsey has another treasure stored up in heaven because she was obedient and loved her neighbor as herself. What an amazing kid. What an amazing gift He has given her.

It really isn’t as hard as we make it. Whose life is different because you ignored what the world told you to do and did what He told you to do? God never promised us safety and security. In fact we can be quite certain that by following Him we will often find quite the opposite.