CHILDREN'S CHURCH
A Meditation on Mark 10:13–16
In speaking of “Children’s Church” I may have misled you, since this usually refers to young children who are dismissed from “adult” worship to have their own time of “church.” But I want us adults to realize that we all attend “Children’s Church.” How did our Lord teach his disciples to pray? “Our Father, who art in heaven…” When the saints gather on the Lord’s Day, we do so as children petitioning a loving heavenly Father. This reality is woven into our liturgy and our historic creeds. When the minister asks, “Christian, do you believe in God, the Father?” we respond with thundering conviction: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth…” Whether we are singing “This is My Father’s World” or “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” we are testifying to our status as adopted children in the presence of our King.
The modern trend of separating children from the corporate worship of the church is a historical anomaly that bears reconsideration. We frequently ask, “What benefits do children receive from being in the service with adults?” It’s a pertinent question, deserving careful, biblical thought. The answer could come from any one of a variety of angles.
Practically, children learn to sit still and behave themselves. Admittedly, this is minor in comparison to the other lessons we are seeking to impart, but important nonetheless. Imitatively, they watch and copy the worship of their parents. Hopefully your worship is worthy of emulation. Instructionally, they comprehend far more than we often give them credit for. Thus, the car ride home can become a classroom where the sermon’s content is discussed and applied to their young lives. Spiritually, they receive the gracious blessing that results simply from being in the presence of the triune God. When parents brought their children (including infants) to Jesus, despite the consternation of the disciples, he gladly “took them in his arms and blessed them” (Mk. 10:16). Is our Lord any less inclined to bless our covenant children today than he was two millennia ago?
However, we never—or, at least, rarely—hear the question from the other side, “What benefits do adults receive from being in the service with children?” Could it be that we don’t even contemplate this perspective because we presuppose that restless kids are a nuisance? A newborn baby softly coos, and we expect the bouncers in the back of the church to quickly spring into action, in order to escort the mother and her child out of the sanctuary. But imagine the mother is Mary and the baby is Jesus. Would the Father be pleased with our efforts to quickly remove him?
Jesus’ command was clear: “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belong the kingdom of God” (v. 14). While undisciplined behavior should be addressed, the presence of well-mannered children is not a distraction—it is a necessity.
Jesus asserted, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (v. 15). Apparently, the disciples needed the incarnational example of child-like faith (not childish faith) to understand how one enters God’s kingdom. And Jesus could not find anyone more qualified for this monumental task than a child.
On another occasion, when Jesus’ disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest, Jesus called a child, put him in the midst of his disciples—obviously so they could physically look at the child—and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:1-4). Jesus intentionally put a child in the midst of his disciples so that with their own eyes they could see child-like faith that was non-negotiable for salvation. Has the Church overlooked the evangelistic impact that the mere presence of children provides? Remember that even the great St. Augustine was led to the Word by the singsong voice of a child calling, “Tolle Lege, Tolle Lege”—“Take it and read.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Like the arrogant disciples, we often lose our focus. We need the humble presence of children in our midst to remind us of a hard truth: we come to God as children, or we do not come at all. “Children’s Church” isn’t a separate program in the basement; it is the gathering of the entire family of God.