Jesus Loves the Little Children            Mark 9:35-37       September 23, 2006        Rev. Laird Duran

In the children’s sermon, we sang “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” and told the story of Mark 9:35-37
"(Jesus) sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’ "

Recently I've been writing the story of my life, and it has been a real blessing. I don’t intend to publish for anyone else to read it. I’ve started it three times and never got past the first paragraph. But the good thing about doing this is that it makes me reflect on all that has happened, and assures me that God was with me throughout my life. It is as if my life is my own sacred journey that is leading me to the place Jesus prepared for me from the very beginning.

The idea to write the story of my life started back about two months ago, when we visited the town where I grew up. The town is called Absecon, on the Jersey coast. It was and in still is a small town, a proud community where people live and mostly stay until life's end.

It struck me kind of hard when I saw that they were tearing down my old school. I pulled over and we watched the wrecking ball tearing down the walls. I began to recall all the things that happened for me inside that building. I remembered going to my first day in kindergarten, the first time wrote my name, the teachers and their names, all the friends I made. I remembered playing the violin in the orchestra, the day Oswald shot Kennedy, my first dance, first kiss, first time I got a gold star “A” and the first “F” from a concerned teacher.

I also visited my church. That’s where I learned the songs we sang, the songs that played like background music to the things that happened every day. I had people there who cared about me enough to tell me that I belonged to Jesus, and Jesus belonged to God. They also taught me about the Bible, the story of Jesus cross and the history of God’s people. They taught us that Jesus had special regard of little ones, and children. There was even a copy of an old oil paint of Jesus saying, “Suffer the little children unto me.” I really didn’t understand that the word suffer meant send the little children to me. Jesus was always asking the disciples to bring the people no one else wanted to come to him, the sick, the hungry, the poor, the little ones.

Most days were fun and happy doing the fun things children do. Playing with my friends, going places with my brother and mother and often my father. I spend considerable time staying over with my grand father and grand mother, who spoiled me. But there were also days that were hard.

The hardest day was when I had to tell my friends that my baby brother died because he was sick. My mother and father cried a lot. I felt sad, and life was different. I wished and prayed that he would not die, but live. Even though he died, I somehow knew that he was okay, and that God loved him and me. I know God gave me this gift of faith through the teachers that taught me those songs about the love of Jesus.

In the story we just read, Jesus was trying to explain to them what would happen to him. That he would be betrayed by one of them, his own disciples into the hands of the authorities and killed. All the while the disciples did understand what he was talking about. The disciples only understood half of what Jesus was teaching them. They understood that kingdom of God was coming and that they would play a part in it. But they were hoping to get power and prestige over others. Instead of serving one another like Jesus, they were fighting like children. They were arguing over who would be the greatest, most important and powerful.

When Jesus asked the disciples what they were fighting about, they stood there silently, glancing at one another, wondering what to say. They knew that what they were doing was wrong, or Jesus wouldn't even bring it up. The disciples were afraid to say anything, and I’d say they felt guilty. Then Jesus gave them their lesson for the day. "Whoever wants to be first in my kingdom must be the servant of all." Jesus served the hungry, the sick and the poor throughout his ministry. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and advocated justice for the poor. When Jesus gave up his life on the cross, he became poor and naked for us. That’s when God gave Jesus and us the victory of his love in his kingdom.

Then Jesus went into the crowd, and came back with a little child. A child, the smallest and most vulnerable of all people. This child was totally dependent on his parents to survive. Jesus took this little child in his arms and said, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." Welcoming, receiving the little ones, the small and the powerless is welcoming Jesus himself. Accepting the powerless is what it means to accept Christ. The true body of Christ includes the poor and the sick and the child.

So how can we open ourselves to see and feel coming of God’s kingdom for us? Not be focusing on our accomplishments, the money we have made or the accomplishments we have done. We do not see this kingdom in the accolades that others give us, nor by being smarter or better or righteous than others.

We begin to see Christ alive when we are powerless, small and dependant. We will see the kingdom when we remember that we are children of God, and have that child-like faith, as if you are the child that Jesus found in the crowd and welcomed into the kingdom of God.

I suggest that if you’re an adult like me, especially older, write down the story. Remember the days of your childhood when you were loved and wanted as a child. Remember your early days in church, your Sunday School teachers. Write as if you are talking to Jesus. After all, he was there from the beginning, and will be there until the end to receive us into his kingdom. Each of us are always and forever a child of God.

For older adults, I urge you to consider writing the story of your life, and praying about that. Now you don’t have let anyone else read it, unless you just want to. The reason for doing this is to learn about your soul, your faith. I have found that the more you study and pray about your own story, the more you will see how God’s love was there all this time. And the more we will realize that God’s promise of eternal life in the kingdom is yours through Christ.

If you are a child, or a new Christian, I would say to keep a journal a spiritual diary. Write down or record the small and large daily victories and defeats, and how you experienced those times. Then go back and read it to yourself and to God. It’s even better if you start each day by writing, Dear Jesus, and telling him the things that are happening with you and in you.

After doing this for three weeks, I believe you will become more and more sure that God has been there all the time, and will be there at the end, as well. (I am strongly considering asking my confirmation students to do this for one month.) God’s peace is our peace for each day, each moment of life that God had given us. Let us enjoy the gift live God gives us each day, and the promise of life in the kingdom through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen