Receiving Children in Jesus’s Name
Text: Mark 9:33–37 ESV
My wife, Jacque, and I have been here in Boise for about a year and a half. And when we were coming out here, I remember we were praying, “God, would you show us more of you? Would you conform us more into the likeness of your Son?”
One of the ways God answered that prayer is by putting me in charge of children's ministry at Table Rock.
We all know serving children can be challenging. They cry, don’t sit still, need reprimanding. But the elders asked if I, as a staff member, would put dedicated thought into children's ministry. At that time, the elders had started the Wednesday gathering of youth, but they were asking if I would be the one to start the engine of Sunday morning youth time.
Throughout that process, I have found great joy in working with the children at Table Rock. It has been stretching for me and challenging, but it has shown me more of God. As we look at the text today in Mark 9, we're going to see that was a point Jesus made to his disciples.
One of the main points of this text is that Jesus calls us to serve children, no matter how challenging, and he promises more of himself.
Last Place Gets the Trophy
Let me begin by giving us some bearing in the gospel of Mark. Jesus just went up a mountain with a couple of his disciples, and he revealed his glory in what we call the Mount of Transfiguration.
In that time, he also gave his first prediction of his death. He explained that he came not only to become a servant by making himself lowly by taking on the form of the flesh, but also to be a servant of all by taking on the shame of the cross. That just happened. Now we get to the beginning of our text: Mark 9:33–34:
“And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.” (Mark 9:33–34 ESV)
I think we can all relate to the shame the disciples feel: “We just got caught.” We are supposed to feel the difference between Jesus who was just talking about the humility of taking up his cross, meanwhile the disciples are talking about who is the greatest.
Jesus is now going to teach them about humility. And of course, the main example that he's going to use is caring for children. But it's this idea of being the greatest that starts Jesus in this explanation.
Instead of Jesus saying, don't worry about being the greatest, don't worry about being first. He actually gives them the formula for how to be the greatest. The formula is to come in last place to get the trophy. That’s quite backward. Here's what he says in verse 35.
“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.’” (Mark 9:35 ESV)
When it comes to being first in the kingdom, come in last place. Be the one who serves the food and cleans the dishes, not the one who sits on his chair of importance and orders his servant.
The Least of These
Then in order to emphasize what he means by being a servant of all, to have that kind of humility, Jesu acts out a live parable. He grabs a child and puts him in the middle of the group.
“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.’ And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.’” (Mark 9:35–37 ESV)
In case the disciples miss understand what he meant by being last, he grabs a child to emphasize his point. His point is so obvious that he doesn’t even go on to explain all of what he means by putting a child in the middle. He knows that disciples will understand that a child represents serving the “least of these.”
We need to remember in this context, in Jesus's day, children were not highly esteemed. Far from it. They were inconvenient at best. They were in the way. They were useless until they could work around the house and get married. It was no noble act to care for children in that culture.
His point is that when he's talking about humility, when he is talking about being a servant of all, serving the least of these, he uses a child as an example. I think we can all understand this.
On top of that, children don’t often give thank yous for serving them day in and day out. Most often, they expect you to serve them. Our two-year-old son, Landin, was sick this last week, and he rightly expected me and my wife to care for him. No thanks, no special card. No praise of man for doing it. This is what it means to serve, to be last of all. To serve not expecting you will gain anything from it.
This idea of humility that exists to serves other also means we are going to have to lay down our preferences to serve the next generation. Listen to how Paul expands on Christ’s view of a humility that serves others.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4 ESV)
As a church, if we're going to take serious the call to be servants of all, we are going to have to give up our preference in order to serve the next generation. Sure they will have to give of their preferences, but that is not Jesus’s point here. He is calling the adults to serve the children — not the other way around here.
Here’s a practical way that this might work in the church. If we really want to own looking to the interest of others, we are going to have to give up things like our musical preferences sometimes. Some of you grew up singing hymns. Now you turn on Christian radio, and it doesn't sound like the good old days.
But guess what, for all of us here that listen to the music today and it sounds like what we like, when these kids grow up, this music's going to be the oldies. There are going to be new styles and new preferences. And they won’t be our preferences.
Children Matter Because God Matters
After calling the disciples to humility by showing them what he really means by serving the least of these, Jesus then does something really surprising in verse 37 (a pastor really helped clarify this for me).
He doesn't go on to what we might naturally think. He doesn’t tell his disciples, “Despite this world around — that says they're meaningless — they're actually worth your time because they are made in God’s image just like you.” Though that all is true (and addressed in other places in the Bible). That's not where Jesus goes here. Instead, he makes a turn. He does not talk about the value of children, but rather the value of God:
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:37 ESV)
I said one of the main points of this text is that Jesus calls us to serve children, no matter how hard it is. Now, the way that Jesus argues that it is a requirement to receive children is not to argue that it is because they are significant because they are human beings just like you adults are human beings (though that would have been a way to argue that would have been true).
He argues instead that this isn't about the value of a child, this is about the value of God. Whether or not you receive a child says everything about how you receive God.
Let me see if I can make this clear because we don't want to miss this. Think of an ambassador of the US in another country. If the leaders of that country refuse to receive that ambassador, or if they refuse to receive the proposal of the ambassador, that is no different than refusing to receive the president of the U.S. or the policies of the president.
Jesus says, “Look, if you can't receive a child, you're saying you can't receive me.” That's pretty significant. Or to put it positively, he says, “If you want to receive me, if you want more of me, then you need to go and serve children.” The littlest ones, serve them, and you will receive more of me.
Because of this, I have found myself praying for the volunteers that help in the youth room on Sunday that they would be surprised by how much of God they received while serving there that morning. They will miss the service, they will miss the sermon, they will miss the adult fellowship, but according to this text, they will not miss God. They will receive God as they work to receive children.
The reason that we love children at Table Rock is not simply because children are valuable, just like adults are valuable. That is true. That is a reason why we love children, but at the core of everything we do when it comes to children is God — not children themselves. This is not just about the significance of children, this is about the significance of our God.
We want to be a church that has more of God, not less of God. And I want you to have more of God, not less of God. Jesus calls us to care for children, and he promises that we get more of him if we do that. We don't want to neglect that call.
No One on the Sidelines
Let me just bring this home. No Christian gets to say, “Children, that's not my thing. I’ll let the moms take care of that.” No gets to say, “Kids aren’t really my thing. I don’t enjoy being around them, so I’m going to let other people take care of them. I'm here for the adults.”
Jesus’s response to that is to say, “If you can’t receive them, you cannot receive me.” By not receiving them, we are saying we are not receiving our own Savior. Christians cannot say “Kids are my thing so I leave that to others.” That’s like a doctor saying I don’t receive sick patients, or a soccer player saying I don’t kick. If you have received God, you will receive children. It is not optional.
This idea of receiving children is not just in our text. Though Jesus has a different application point in the next chapter when he talks about children, listen to how he respond to those who want to turn children away:
“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.’” (Mark 10:13–14 ESV)
Now, I don't mean that in order to fulfill this you need to become a volunteer in the youth room. Far from it. Rather, I’m calling you to put some thought and prayer into what it means to receive children. You are called to do this. It’s worth your time to think through.
If you're not good with working with children, it’s going to take some learning. But the reality is, you can't just slough it off and say, “I'm just not good at it. I guess I'll leave it at that.’ That's not an option. You need to learn how to care for these little ones.
If we are truly going to serve children, then we actually have to stop and ask how children are loved. How are children cared for? Few greater human examples exist that display this than Mister Rogers. He knew how to serve kids.
In fact, I recently read that when Mister Rogers was invited to be on the Oprah Winfrey show once, and he asked her to not have any kids in the audience. The reason: if there were kids, he would put all his attention there. He knew the show was supposed to be for adults, so he didn’t want it getting off track and focused on kids.
Well, Oprah’s staff ignored the request, and sure enough, exactly what Mister Rogers said would happen took place. Once a kid asked a question, the whole show switched focus. I’m not saying you need to be Mister Rogers. I’m simply highlighting that he had an impulse in him that we can learn from. He cared about kids. He knew how to respond to and care for kids.
Here's the thing. I get that this can be challenging. I went to seminary, and I was knee-deep in Hebrew and Greek class. I loved it. I loved the languages. I came here and thought it would be so cool to teach a Greek class. I was asked to teach the Toddlers–5th graders.
I've had to learn how to grow in caring for these little ones. I’ve had to learn the difference between a second-grader and a fifth-grader. I have had to learn how to care for toddlers in and how to run around on a Wednesday to get energy out, but then how to sit down and focus in on a story and how to discuss Bible with them.
Let me tell you, there's a great joy to be had. There's more of God to be had than if you were to shut them out. I’m not trying to guilt you into this. I’m trying to say that your joy in God is set to increase if you humble yourself by caring for these little ones.
How to Serve Children
Here are some quick ideas on how to serve children, lest we keep this abstract. This list isn’t exhaustive. But it’s a start.
Start by knowing the kids’ names. Do you know any of the kids’ names at your church?
Or when you meet a new family, do you ask the kids for their names. Do you ask them questions? Do you treat them as a visitor, and work to receive them as much as you work to receive the adults.
Do you pray for the youth at your church?
How about this, do you find yourself rejoicing over the presence of children when they make noise during the service or are running around at afterward? Or do you want to turn them away?
Far from thinking that the work of ministry is simply to the adults in this room, we, as a church say, “No, part of the body of Christ that gathers on Sunday morning, can't even talk. But they can cry, and they need our help.”
We're are called to be a church that says, “We love you. We value you. You matter. You can be in here in worship with us even if you're crying or need a drawing pad. Or if it is better for you, you can go and be with other kids and play with Play-Doh and eat goldfish and hear the Bible in taught in the youth room.”
Starbucks Versus Dodgeball
Our youth are not the church in a few years. They are the church right now. We want them to feel like they are a part of this church.
Here’s the reality. If we are going to truly believe that as a church, if we really are going to receive children in a way that makes them feel like they are being received, then we need to be thinking about how to make this church feel like their church as well.
The bottom line is that being servants of all, being servants of these two little ones, means thinking about how to love them. This is one of the reasons that youth on Sunday morning and on Wednesday doesn't look like what service here looks like. Children connect in different ways than we do.
Think of it as the difference between Starbucks and dodgeball. When we as adults get ready to connect, what do they do? We go to a coffee shop, and we sit there. We talk for two hours. But how do kids connect? They do not sit down and talk for hours. They want to play dodgeball and tackle each other.
When I talk to my two-year-old son at the end of the day and ask him what he did that day, he never says back to me, “Oh, you know, I had a great conversation with mom. We sat and talked for a couple of hours about you how hard things in life are but how God is sustaining us.”
No, he says I played with mom today. Kids connect by running around. think about at the end of the service over. What happens with the adults What do we do? We sit there and jabber. What do kids do? The benches become their jungle gym. And the big open area, it becomes a race track.
I know there's some of you who would much prefer dodgeball over Starbucks. But the reality is us adults are not running around after service as if this is a racetrack. We're sitting connecting and talking.
I bring this up as a very concrete example to say, we are trying as a church to be intentional about giving kids spots to connect in ways that they connect. We give them goldfish. games where they run around on a Wednesday, and fruit snacks because that's how they connect. Meanwhile, the parents are doing Open Life in which they're going deep and sharing deep things about their life. But they both leave and feel like I connected with my friends.
We actually don't see games and fruit snacks as disconnected from spreading the gospel. It's in fact, as we are saying, ways we serve the little ones. Of course, we don't just sum up our youth and children's ministry connection by saying we gave them fruit snacks. We're giving them Bible, giving them gospel. But even then, we're going have skits, and we're going to have dress-up costumes because we want to serve kids and help them treasure God.
In Jesus’s Name
We have seen that Jesus calls us to receive children, and he makes it clear it will take humility, but don’t miss that it must be done in his name.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:37 ESV)
At Table Rock, when we talk about children's ministry, we put it under the banner of spreading. The reason we put it under the banner spreading is because this is the next generation. If we don't take the gospel to the next generation, we aren’t being faithful to spread the gospel.
We as a church take seriously receiving children in Jesus's name by spreading, by taking the gospel to them. That informs what our children's ministry looks like. This conviction of taking the gospel to the next generation is one of the reasons why at Table Rock we will never say children cannot be in the service here with us in the morning. Even if some people think, “Oh, they're too loud and too distracting.” Well, we're called to take the gospel to them, and to give up our preference.
It's also why we have a place for children on Sunday morning. This is another way we see to honor the call to take the gospel to the next generation. We want to teach the youth the word of God, we want them to connect with others their same age, and we want them to leave feeling like church is a place for them.
When we are spending time with the youth, what we are doing is more than just babysitting. When we gather, from toddlers all the way to 5th grade, our heart is to take the gospel to the next generation.
As we close, let me just say, this is not possible without the cross, so you can receive children, but you won't be able to receive them in Jesus name without the cross. This is not a call for you to be Mister Rogers. Rather, this is a call for you to be Christ-dependent so he can help you serve these little ones.
At the core of this is a promise is that God will give you the strength. At the core of it is the promise that if you would serve children you will get more of God. At the core of it is a cross that makes this call to serve children not a call for to feel guilty you, but a call to say it's worth it. Jesus has made it possible. And at cross is forgives for your shortcoming here.
Jesus made it possible to give children the greatest joy which is himself. You can't do this on your own, and you're not called to do it on your own. Run to Jesus and say, “I confess my shortcomings when it comes to receiving little ones. I need your help to receive them. And I need to believe the promise that if I do I get more of you.”