This scripture means much more than ’permitting’ children to come to Jesus, much more than not denegrating them as too young. When Christ tells us to let the little children come to Him he is, in effect, telling us that it is our responsibility to ’make a way’ for them to come to Him. It is not enough to have Sunday School Classes and VBS’ for children, we must begin to make them a viable member in this body of Christ!
How can we do that? I think it begins with the teachings both the Old & New Testaments give us of vivid examples of youth becoming major forces in the movement of Christianity and that it should be no different today. Our problem today is that we don’t really believe God can work better through a child or young person than he might through us. When men, or women, get together to discuss the future path of our faith you will almost never hear any mention of the role of children in reaching out to the world. Are not the greatest ambassadors in the world children? Who shrinks back from a child? Who questions the motives of a child? Who prejudges the message of child based upon appearance or heritage? Rarely anyone…therefore they are God’s perfect messengers!
A child filled with the Word and embued with the Holy Spirit will penetrate into hardened hearts where no pastor can hope to reach. Defenses are lowered, prejudices are dropped, and preformed analyses are left behind when a child steps to the stage. We listen and by our listening we insipidly teach other children that what they say and think is important to our ’august’ body. When they are allowed to play a vital role in the evangelism of the world they will come in droves, they cannot help but come when they are viewed as relevant.
Why don’t we have children or youth give an assessment of a sermon immediately after delivery, why don’t we allow them the opportunity to make a presentation in the general assembly of our worship services, not just on ’children’s day’? We’re not talking about a cute song or skit, but a demonstration or definition of what some scripture means to them…we might gain great insight. God can use children to bring us to the simplest of terms with our religion, to the base issues we face, and the sound doctrine that we so desperately need to hear today. Maybe we have gotten too organized, too preplanned, too slick for our own good.
Let the little children come that we might better learn to come also!