Day 60

Leviticus 24:1–25:46; Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21

TODAY, AS THE Mosaic law continued to be revealed, we learned of pure oil, holy bread, the Sabbath year, and the Year of Jubilee that was to be observed every fiftieth year, setting free anyone who had become enslaved. The Jubilee year is a beautiful illustration: No difficulty lasts forever —all will one day be restored completely.

In Mark’s Gospel, parents began to bring their children to Jesus so that He could bless them. This is also a very beautiful picture, for where else would we want to bring our children, and where else would we want them to turn? Unfortunately, this beauty was lost on Jesus’ disciples, who scolded the parents for bothering the Lord. Ironic, isn’t it? We, too, often exclude our children from our faith journey, reasoning that they are too young to understand or unintentionally misguiding them when our words do not coincide with our actions.

Perhaps our children intuitively know far more than we believe. And perhaps they have much to teach us in their innocence. This was how Jesus saw it.

“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children,” He said (Mark 10:14).

God’s Kingdom values the faith of a child. What we steward when we parent our kids is perhaps our greatest charge and responsibility for the Kingdom. If the Kingdom belongs to those who are like children, then we may need to reconsider our approach to the faith journey. Children who have been cared for by nurturing parents believe that nothing is impossible for them. They rest in the knowledge that they are cared for and loved, and they trust deeply.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). This is a sobering reality, but it offers us an invaluable invitation. All our attempts to figure God out and to keep the plates spinning in our lives may not be getting us anywhere. Our little children do not ponder whether we care for them —they know it. They do not wonder how they are going to manage being a toddler; they intuitively know that all will be well. Every day is a new adventure.

The Kingdom belongs to those with the faith of a child, and we are invited to live this way. Perhaps the next time we are overwhelmed with insecurity, anxiety, or discouragement, we need to look to our children, so we can remember who we really are: children of God.

PRAYER:

Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love.