What is Faith?
Faith Is Assurance
Mark 10:13-16
The Message
13-16The
people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The
disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it:
"Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me.
These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this:
Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll
never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his
hands of blessing on them.
For Reflection
Sometimes
we think of children as though though they had inherent instinctive
trust. Perhaps as suckling infants children may, but over the years, I
have realized the trust of a child has to be earned just like the trust
of an adult. Children learn to trust. It may be a bit easier for them
to trust in an unseen God than for an adult, but both learn to trust.
Jesus understood the connection between acts of faith and the power of the act to reinforce the faith. His acceptance of the children (some of whom were undoubtedly reluctant to get close to Him) was not only about giving these children an experience that would lead to trust. Jesus also wanted to assure the faithful that the faith which was strong enough to desire their children to experience a similar faith was a righteous act.
Many times I have heard parents remark that they did not want to influence their children's faith. They thought that their children should make up their mind's when they were old enough to make an informed choice. In my opinion, if a child has not experienced the community of the faithful early in his or her life, he or she has no base of comparison to chose a life within the community or outside the community. How faithful are parents who do not trust their children to a faith community?
Children inside the faith community need as many faith experiences as possible. Today's children are tomorrow' s faithful.
Jesus understood the connection between acts of faith and the power of the act to reinforce the faith. His acceptance of the children (some of whom were undoubtedly reluctant to get close to Him) was not only about giving these children an experience that would lead to trust. Jesus also wanted to assure the faithful that the faith which was strong enough to desire their children to experience a similar faith was a righteous act.
Many times I have heard parents remark that they did not want to influence their children's faith. They thought that their children should make up their mind's when they were old enough to make an informed choice. In my opinion, if a child has not experienced the community of the faithful early in his or her life, he or she has no base of comparison to chose a life within the community or outside the community. How faithful are parents who do not trust their children to a faith community?
Children inside the faith community need as many faith experiences as possible. Today's children are tomorrow' s faithful.
Pray
for
the children of this world, that they may know God. Pray for parents
that they may pass their faith in God to their children. Pray for the God's church, that it may provide a sanctuary for learning to trust God.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please post comments here.