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Transcript

Every Christian is a Servant 3

Let the children come to me

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord Jesus had some strong words to say about children, and his attitude, God’s attitude, towards children is something that should inform and influence our own attitudes in the Sunday School service, but also as members of the Church, where we are surrounded by children and young people, and our brothers and sisters in the life of Christ.

There was a time when Jesus was tired from the ministry, and mothers brought their children to him to be blessed by him. It was reasonable for the Apostles to want to give him some peace. It was reasonable in their minds that they should send the children away because they were noisy and demanding and full of energy. That is what children are like, but in fact we can all be like that, needing attention and wanting to participate in whatever is happening, while others are trying to organise and manage things as they think they should be.

Jesus said to the Apostles,

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

The Lord Jesus was probably physically tired, but he would allow nothing to stand in the way of the children coming to him. He wanted them to be close to him. He wanted them to feel his embrace and receive a divine blessing from his hands.

There are two things we can learn from this. In the first place we see how much God himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, wants each of our children and young people to be close to him. The heart of God is always open towards each child or youth in our care. More than we can possibly imagine, and certainly more than we could ever care for them all, God already desires that they know him, and experience his care and the warmth of his presence.

But secondly, we can stand in the way of their growing into such a relationship with God. We can stand in the way if we are Sunday School servants, and we can stand in the way if we are members of the Church where they are learning how to know God. We can prevent them growing closer to God when we do not live with the life of God ourselves. All of our sins and weaknesses, our words and thoughts and actions, if they not from the Holy Spirit of God, will become obstacles for our children.

Are we generous with our time and attention, as Jesus Christ was generous? Are we gentle in our words, as Jesus Christ was gentle? Do we put others first, as Jesus Christ always put others first, even coming into the world for our sakes, despite our sins and weaknesses. This is what is required of the Sunday School servant, generous, gentle, and putting others before themselves. This is what is required of us if we want to help each child and young person grow into a living relationship of love with God.

But of course, as members of the Church, we do not want to stand in the way of any of our brothers and sisters growing closer to God. The same generosity and patience with each other are required of us all. The same gentleness in words and actions, being positive and encouraging in all we say to each brother and sister and about each brother and sister, this is how every Christian should strive hard to be every day and in every conversation.

And each of us is called to put others first, and ourselves last, not just those who are Sunday School servants, but every member of the Church, every Christian, because this is how our Lord Jesus puts each one of us first, even at the cost of his death on the cross.

For all of us, putting others first, and thinking of ourselves last and least, is what Jesus Christ asks of us, and what he has shown us in himself, and it is this, in our service and in our life together, which will bear the fruit of unity in love for our children and youth, and for all of us together in our blessed congregation.

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