Mark 10:14-15
When
was the last time you were steaming mad? How often do you get steaming mad? I
hope your answers to these two questions were, a long time ago, and not too
often. Steaming mad raises your blood pressure, constricts your blood vessels
and doesn’t allow you to think clearly. Not the best place to spend large
amounts of time. Not the happiest of lives either.
Our
text tells us of a time when Jesus was indignant toward His disciples. They
were standing in the way of justice. Jesus saw the wrong being committed by
them, and He got very mad. He was ticked off. He was rip roaring mad. The
disciples were clearly in the wrong. They were backing the wrong horse.
Do
you ever get mad because someone is clearly on the wrong side of an issue? I
know I do. That seems to be what Jesus is feeling. So Jesus does something
about it. He lets His disciples have it. That’s right. He balls out His closest
companions.
Out
of this indignation Jesus tells them two things, to start allowing them to come
and to stop hindering them from coming. They must open the door and then not
stand in the way. Both of these elements are important. We can open the door,
but then stand in the opening preventing people from entering. We can also act
like we want people to enter, but then not give them the key that opens the
door.
Jesus
sees something in His disciples that He doesn’t like. They want to restrict
access to Jesus. Jesus wants to throw the door wide open, allowing any and all
to be with Him. But there is more to this event than this.
Jesus
wants to teach His disciples about the simplicity of faith. The words faith and
trust are often interchangeable. The original language of the New Testament,
Greek, uses one root word for both concepts. And who knows how to trust better
than children, if they are raised in trusting, safe environments.
So
Jesus tells His disciples that they are the example of how we as adults need to
come to Him. We are to receive the Kingdom like little children. How do most
kids receive a free gift? With joy, eagerness and enthusiasm. They don’t
suspect the package to be a box filled with anthrax or C4 explosives. If you
are giving it, they expect something good.
The
same is true for those of us who want to follow Jesus. We need to accept what
He has to offer with joy, eagerness and enthusiasm. If we know Him, then His plan
for our lives, His working out of the Kingdom in and through us, will bring
something good. Our job is to simply trust that He has our best in mind, that
He will take care of us, that He will never leave or forsake us. We can count
on Him.
Are
there things that Jesus is asking of you that you are hesitant to release to
Him? Are you hesitating in trusting Him, because people have let you down and
you can’t figure out if the LORD will do the same? Become like those little
children who ran into Jesus’ arms. Don’t hesitate for a moment. Run into His
arms.