Title: The grace of God
Contents
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1. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2. It is in vain that you rise early, lie down late, and eat the bread of toil; therefore the LORD gives sleep to the one he loves.
3. Behold, children are the inheritance of the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4. The children of a young man are like arrows in the hand of a merchant.
5. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full; they will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gates.
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13. People brought little children to Jesus hoping he would touch them, and the disciples rebuked them
14. When Jesus saw it, he became angry and said, "Let little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of God."
15. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
16. He took the little children, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Content
Title: The grace of God
Text: Psalm 127:1-5, Mark 10:13-16
May is the queen of the seasons and the month of the family. It's about half the year. Above all, it is a month that makes you think about grace. Parents' grace and teacher's grace, as well as Children's Day and Coming-of-Age Day have the same meaning. It's like a mid-term check to live a meaningful year. It seems to remind us that we must live without forgetting all kinds of grace. Grace is a favor received freely. So that's probably why it's easy to forget. However, living without grace means spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1). If the human soul is dead, the primordial spirit of all things, the life of the body must also be affected by it (Ephesians 2:2). Grace is a kindness that cannot be seen only with the sight of the flesh. It's a live mouseberry word. “What is important is invisible to the eye, and if you do not see it with your heart, you cannot see it well.” There are things that you must see with your heart.
So, when you reach ingratitude (背恩忘德), your life smells like hell. It is the turning point between the ‘smell that leads to death’ and the ‘smell that leads to life’ (2 Corinthians 2:16). This is the meaning of the words taught in today's Old Testament text (Psalm 127:1-5). It awakens faith in God, who is invisible. It is a confession that “unless the Lord builds the house” and “unless the Lord guards the city” all human efforts and labor are in vain. ‘House’ refers to the family, and ‘Castle’ refers to the country. Not only the family, but also the nation is the place of life where the sovereign providence of Jehovah God works. It is a realization that God's grace is needed in the place of every human life. It reminds us not to forget this grace and live. Do not forget, “Children are an inheritance from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (verse 3).
The New Testament text (Mark 10:13-16) speaks of our attitude toward that enterprise. A group of people brought little children in hopes of being touched by Jesus. I get a strange reaction. Jesus' disciples rebuked them, and Jesus rebuked them. He said, “The kingdom of God belongs to such ones.” He took the little children, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. It depicts the reactions of the disciples to this and the parents and children who had to listen to their rebuke. He said that the appearance of the parents who took their children to Jesus and the children who ran to Jesus according to their parents' words were the image of a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. God's grace is a reminder that these are the things of these people. It makes us think about our attitude towards our children. Like Jesus, it is ‘acceptance and embrace’ and ‘laying hands and blessing’.