Title: Heaven and Mother / Matthew 18:1-10
Today is Children's Day. So, I'm going to focus on how Jesus treated children.
Jesus and his disciples were going up toward Jerusalem. In terms of timing, we can think of it as about a month before Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem.
The disciples had a dream that when they went up to Jerusalem, Jesus would become king, and at that time the disciples would rise to some kind of magnificent position.
Not only the disciples of Jesus, but also their families had this kind of thinking. Salome, the mother of James and John, also came to Jesus and made a request. “Order these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and the other at your left, in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21).
The disciples were arguing with each other as they were going up to Jerusalem. When Jesus asked the disciples what they had said as they were walking, they were silent.
But after a while, they asked Jesus about their greatest concern. "Who is the greatest in heaven?" "Who is the greatest in heaven?" asked.
Jesus took a child and did not put it on his chest, and said to his disciples, He said, "Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4).
The disciples were interested in who was the greatest in heaven, but Jesus was concerned with the question of qualifications for citizens of heaven. That is why, by saying that unless you first become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven, the problem of qualifications for a citizen of heaven is discussed first, and then the person who humbles himself like a child will grow up in the kingdom of heaven.
How can a person who does not have the qualifications to be a citizen of heaven become a great person in heaven? What is the lesson for us through the words of the passage we read today?
In other words, what qualifications do you need to meet to become a citizen of heaven?
1. To be a citizen of heaven, you must be humble like a child. "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Just as a child knows his own weakness and is totally dependent on his parents, so we teach him to know his weakness in the sight of God and to fully depend on and trust Almighty God. Only those who know that they are sinners, repent and trust and rely only on God can enter the kingdom of heaven. You can become a citizen of heaven. Jesus emphasized this very point.
2. To become a citizen of heaven, you must accept a child. Verse 5 says, “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” To welcome means to welcome. It means accepting. Those who receive children are the same as those who receive Jesus.
The words of special interest here are "in my name," that is, to receive children in Jesus' name, and to receive children in Jesus' name. The words “in my name” or “in the name of Jesus” mean “in the heart of Jesus,” “for Jesus’ sake,” “for Jesus’ sake.” In Mark 10:13-16, we read, “People brought children to me hoping that Jesus would touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw them, he became angry and said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not forbid them.
The kingdom of God belongs to such. Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter the kingdom of heaven. He took the little children, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” Jesus welcomed the children.
This is because Jesus, although busy and tired, took time to treat children without discrimination from dealing with adults. In general, because adults think and live according to their own standards, children are treated as weak, marginalized, and subjected to bullying. This is an adult mistake. Children should be given priority protection. Jesus treated children as personalities.
“The kingdom of God belongs to such people,” he said. This verse has two meanings. The first is to appreciate the character of children, and the other is to respect the human rights of children. Children should be given equal opportunities as adults. Jesus blessed the little child. “He took the little children, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” This is a suitable way of blessing for children.
Children are the protagonists of the future, and Jesus instilled faith in a young heart by blessing in this way. A society that welcomes, treats and blesses children is blessed. 3. To become a citizen of heaven, you must not make a child stumble. Verse 6 says, “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the deep sea.”
The phrase "to stumble" means "to fall into a trap". It means "to break the heart." It means “to sin”.
There is a stern warning against anyone who stumbles a child.
1) It is better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the deep sea (verse 6).
2) If your hands, feet, or eyes cause you to stumble, you have to take them out.
4. To be a citizen of heaven, children must not be despised.
Verse 10 says, "Be careful not to despise any of these little ones. I tell you, their angels from heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." The word "contempt" can be interpreted to mean "treat cruelly", "ignore" or "abuse".
According to a 1998 study, the incidence of child abuse in Korean families was 2.6%, and it was estimated that about 507,000 children were suffering from various forms of abuse. According to the Korea Children's Protection Foundation, 288 child abuse calls were received last year. This is more than double the 139 cases in 1998.
In particular, sexual abuse, which accounted for only 17% of the total incidence with 24 cases in 1997, has increased to 112 cases last year, accounting for 38.9% of the total. It was pointed out that the reason why child abuse does not go away is that the social awareness of children's human rights is very low. Ho-Gyun Lee, director of the Child Abuse Research Institute, pointed out that many people still perceive children as their parents' property due to the traditional mindset of "bald-headed parents."
You should not be despised or despised for being young. It is said that God values children so much that there are all the guardian angels of them. More developed countries value children and women. Treated with priority. Children first, girls first. When the ship is wrecked, the children are saved first, then the women, then the men.
Even if there was food, I gave it to the children first, then to the women and then to the men. Our country is a patriarchal system, so men come first and adults come first. It is a divorced couple and a long-lived will. This should change too. Children must be recognized as God's heritage. It must be acknowledged as God's reward. “Children are an inheritance from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3).
5. Citizens of Heaven must learn the innocence and truthfulness of children
I read again verse 3 of the verse I read today. “Truly I say to you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The English poet William Wordsworth wrote a famous poem:
My heart is beating when I look at the rainbow in the sky. I played like that when my life began, and now I'm running like an adult. Let me run like that even when I'm old. Otherwise let me die! Children, fathers of adults, and let the rest of my days be seized one by one by the piety of nature.
It is said that after Wordsworth wrote the sixth line above, he could not connect the next line, and after some time wrote the next three lines, and it took two years to complete the poem. In fact, the contents of line 6 above and the contents of line 3 below seem to be quite far apart. The above is the content that when you look at the rainbow, that is, when you are immersed in the beauty of nature, your heart beats (it is moved). From the time he begins to grow old (when his sense of life is budding) and even now when he becomes a mature adult, his heart is pounding with the emotion of nature's beauty, and he longs to be able to feel that emotion even in old age.
This is what is in the first half.
However, in the second half, something that seems completely outlandish comes out, saying, "Children are fathers of adults." Therefore, it is difficult to consistently appreciate the two contents as one. After all, adults have something to learn from children. Children can be teachers and fathers of adults.
Pastor Yong Hye-won, a poet, has the following article: There was a small, cute looking five-year-old child.
One day, "Mom, I'll go out and play ball with God." and tried to get out.
The child's mother did not believe what the child was saying and asked.
"No, dear, what are you talking about? How can you play ball with God?"
But the cute little boy spoke again.
“Mom, playing ball with God is not difficult. When I throw a ball into the sky, God always throws it back to me.”
According to a study by a British man named Tom Reese, 75% of all Christians in the UK believed in Christ before the age of 14, and 20% accepted the Lord between the ages of 14-21. Only less than 5% of all believers accepted Christ as Lord after the age of 21.
In the United States, 86% of American Christians were saved before the age of 15, 10% between the ages of 15 and 30, and only 4% after the age of 30. Let's lead the children to the Lord. Let's pay attention to evangelism for children. As we celebrate Children's Sunday today, we should not only give thanks to God for giving us children, but also strive to become parents who raise the children who have been given to us in faith.
Let's raise children who can love God and love their neighbors. Be humble as a child, welcome and bless children, be careful not to stumble, and do not despise children, and learn from them honesty and innocence.