Suffer The Little Children

Let's start here.

Pretty powerful stuff, huh?

Especially, "Javier turned around and looked at me with curious, wide, dark eyes. I smiled back at that perplexed face, suddenly feeling nothing but warmth toward him. He grinned, having realized that I was okay, and he was in the clear. Then he faced forward again and pushed his head back between my legs, so that his cheeks were even with my knees. Something inside of me jumped, giddy, at this sudden offering of trust."

"...this sudden offering of trust."

My God, how we miss God's heart!!

How so, you ask?

Because somehow in our self-centered, self-deluded, self-righteous, self-conscious, totally discounting the all encompassing reach of God's grace, finite minds, we become the disciples of Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18.

We think, if we come in faith, God will bless us.

We think, if we believe, God will forgive us.

We think, if we, if we, if we....God will.

Oh, get over yourself already!

True facts: GOD HAS.

We honest to gosh have the insufferable audacity to think that if we believe, God will move.

Just out of curiosity, how big do you think the faith of the children in those scriptures was? I expect they were clueless. I expect they may have been frightened by the disciples' attitudes and Jesus' rebuke to them. Wow, grumpy Jesus face. Think about that. Jesus was pissed at his disciples. Huh. Ever wonder why? Ever wonder why the episode with the children is followed by the story of the rich, young man?

Mark 10: ¹³And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

¹⁵Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Uh oh. There is a problem here. Jesus blessed those kids before they said the sinner's prayer. He blessed them before they repented! He blessed them before they had faith in him, before they trusted him!! OMGOLLY!!

DO YOU THINK HIS BLESSING THEM BEFORE, HIS LOVING THEM BEFORE, HIS ACCEPTING THEM BEFORE, MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE WHOLE FREAKING POINT OF THE ENCOUNTER??? THAT THEIR TRUST AND FAITH WERE PREDICATED ON HIS ACTIONS? THAT THEIR TRUST AND FAITH WERE BASICALLY NOTHING MORE THAN RESTING IN HIS FAITHFULNESS???

No wonder the disciples' heads turned around backwards.

"I mean, seriously, accepting these stinky, little gets on your merit, not theirs, Jesus? C'mon, tell us what we can doooooooooooooooo. Make it about us."

^{Mark 10: 17}And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

¹⁸And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

¹⁹Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

²⁰And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

²¹Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

²²And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

²³And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁴And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

²⁶And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

²⁷And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

The poor disciples! You gotta feel for them by now. I mean, look!, here comes a guy, running and kneeling, this guy obviously gets it!, and Jesus with his picky arse self, who is still sticky from grubby hands and slobbery kisses, shoots him down! "Settin' the bar a might high there, aren't you, Jesus?" they must have been thinking. "Dang! Here is a guy, a rich guy, a 'If anyone can get it done, I'm your man' kinda guy, a *gulp* GIT*R*DONE kinda guy and, what the crap?, you want to talk about what's possible for God???? THIS ISN'T ABOUT GOD, JESUS! DON'T YOU GET THAT? THIS IS ABOUT US!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhh. The light dawns. The Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in his wings.

Healing for all mankind. Forgiveness for all mankind. Life for all mankind.

Justification by his blood, not our sweat.

Sanctification by his life, not our death.

Salvation through his faithfulness, not our faith.

WARNING! WARNING, WILL ROBINSON!!

Tipped you into the "Red Zone", huh?

It's just soooo much more satisfying to have a "Great Pumpkin" faith, isn't it? Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see...

Poor Sally! She missed out on the real treats by listening to Linus's convincing preaching! Robbed by a religious zealot!

Poor Linus! He's lying out in the cold, hard, unforgiving pumpkin patch, in fear that his lack of faith cost him everything.

But, HEY!, you gotta love Lucy! That girl knows a thing or two about FAITH: a position of REST.

Even better: an attitude of TRUST in REST spelled JESUS.

"The other children watched me and him carefully, gauging my reaction. I slowly started to sway my knees side-to-side, his face caught in between. He laughed at this game. Then I noticed his smell. Tears prickled in my eyes as I continued rocking him left to right, and I looked around at the other children. Neat smocks. Clean hair. Why hadn't I noticed before? He sat that way, his warm little body between my feet, for five minutes or more, the best behaved I'd ever seen him."

Beloved, fear of punishment didn't motivate that little boy. What is hell to someone who lives there?

That child responded to love.

"Having realized that I was okay, and he was in the clear..."

You want to talk to me about my faith?

You want to preach to me about my belief?

I don't buy it.

Not for a second.

Talk to me about Jesus.

Point me to the cross.

My confidence is in the one who placed me "in the clear", who saved me because I could not save myself!

That's where I'm resting... in the one who is Rest.