Week of Monday June 23 – June 29
Chasing Children – Man as Chaplain
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.
- Matthew 19:13-15 ESV
My kids are grown, and my grandkids are teenagers and young adults. So, my days of chasing children are at a lull for now, but there’s always hope for great-grandkids. It is obvious from Jesus’ ministry that children were very important to Him. He loved little children, and they loved Him.
In this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, after teaching about marriage and divorce, Jesus turned His attention to the children brought to Him by their parents. It was customary for Jewish parents to bring their young children to a great rabbi so he could bless and pray for them. It was also common for parents to take their children to the elders at the synagogue.
However, in this case, Jesus’ disciples tried to stop the parents from bringing their children to Him. Apparently, they thought the Master’s time was too valuable to spend on small children. Jesus rebuked the disciples for this attitude. He told the disciples in no uncertain terms that little children were not only welcome but also exemplified the essence of the kingdom of Heaven.
This great truth reminds us of our responsibility to share the gospel with our children and disciple them. These parents cared enough about the spiritual condition of their children to bring them to Jesus for His blessing and prayer. When your children see how special that Jesus is to you, then Jesus will be special to them, too!
We are responsible for our children coming to know the Lord, His Word and His ways. Deuteronomy says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 4:6-7 ESV). This is vitally important.
FRC Senior Fellow Dr. George Barna’s research shows that only two percent of American parents of children under 13 have a biblical worldview. “Between 15 to 18 months of age is when most children start forming their worldview, by the age of 13, it's almost completely in place,” Barna says. Consequently, it is little wonder that the great preacher Dwight L. Moody once said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.”
We ought to be bringing children to Jesus! To do this effectively, we need to actively model our faith in an engaging way and prioritize teaching our children about God. Children notice what we value, and when they see us prioritizing Jesus, they’re more likely to do the same as they grow up. The greatest gift a man of God can give his children and grandchildren is an example of what it is to love and serve Jesus! When dads and granddads love Jesus with sincere devotion, it inspires children to love him, too.
- As the Chaplain of your home, how could you teach and inspire your family to make Jesus the top priority of their lives?
- How do you instill godly character in your children despite the pressures and distractions of the world? Are you thinking and planning generationally as you model and minister to your family and community?
- Ask God to help you bring your children and grandchildren to Jesus as soon as possible.
Chasing Children – Man as Chaplain
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.
- Matthew 19:13-15 ESV
My kids are grown, and my grandkids are teenagers and young adults. So, my days of chasing children are at a lull for now, but there’s always hope for great-grandkids. It is obvious from Jesus’ ministry that children were very important to Him. He loved little children, and they loved Him.
In this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, after teaching about marriage and divorce, Jesus turned His attention to the children brought to Him by their parents. It was customary for Jewish parents to bring their young children to a great rabbi so he could bless and pray for them. It was also common for parents to take their children to the elders at the synagogue.
However, in this case, Jesus’ disciples tried to stop the parents from bringing their children to Him. Apparently, they thought the Master’s time was too valuable to spend on small children. Jesus rebuked the disciples for this attitude. He told the disciples in no uncertain terms that little children were not only welcome but also exemplified the essence of the kingdom of Heaven.
This great truth reminds us of our responsibility to share the gospel with our children and disciple them. These parents cared enough about the spiritual condition of their children to bring them to Jesus for His blessing and prayer. When your children see how special that Jesus is to you, then Jesus will be special to them, too!
We are responsible for our children coming to know the Lord, His Word and His ways. Deuteronomy says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 4:6-7 ESV). This is vitally important.
FRC Senior Fellow Dr. George Barna’s research shows that only two percent of American parents of children under 13 have a biblical worldview. “Between 15 to 18 months of age is when most children start forming their worldview, by the age of 13, it's almost completely in place,” Barna says. Consequently, it is little wonder that the great preacher Dwight L. Moody once said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.”
We ought to be bringing children to Jesus! To do this effectively, we need to actively model our faith in an engaging way and prioritize teaching our children about God. Children notice what we value, and when they see us prioritizing Jesus, they’re more likely to do the same as they grow up. The greatest gift a man of God can give his children and grandchildren is an example of what it is to love and serve Jesus! When dads and granddads love Jesus with sincere devotion, it inspires children to love him, too.
- As the Chaplain of your home, how could you teach and inspire your family to make Jesus the top priority of their lives?
- How do you instill godly character in your children despite the pressures and distractions of the world? Are you thinking and planning generationally as you model and minister to your family and community?
- Ask God to help you bring your children and grandchildren to Jesus as soon as possible.