Hands on Children

Mark 10:16

      Jesus took children in His arms. If this part of the story hit the news today, there would be child abuse investigations. I mean, think about it. Jesus took children in His arms. How much worse could it get! Call Child Protective Services! (In case you don’t notice, I am being sarcastic.)

      We live in a very strange day and age. Even the smallest things gets blow up. I know we need to provide protection for our children. There are some really nasty people out there, people who want to take advantage of childhood innocence. I am sure some who read these words had their innocence taken. So I don’t approach this subject lightly. The pain of that is very real and the damage can penetrate the core of our being.

      Parents had brought children to Jesus. They knew something was different about Him. Perhaps they had seen the miraculous power that He brought to the table. Perhaps they had just heard reports of Jesus’ activity, of His care and kindness. We don’t really know all the background of these parents and children. We do know that they brought the children to Jesus so that He could lay His hands on them.

      Laying on of hands is a ritual that isn’t very popular in many circles today. We see it in the news when the Pope puts his hands on the head of people and prays or blesses them. We might see it in church, if our church practices it. People come forward during the service and people gather around that person, reach out their hands and pray for them. There can be something very wonderful about knowing that you are not alone, that others care about your situation.

      There have been enough scandals hitting the news about people, usually people in an authority position, like a teacher or coach, who touched those under their care inappropriately. And because of this reality that gets splashed all over our consciousness, we are often especially on guard and on alert for inappropriate behavior. Most school teachers are now trained to never touch a child in any manner. They can’t bring treats for the kids. They must keep kids at an arms length.

      But there is healthy touch for children. Jesus takes these children in His arms and puts His hands on them and blesses them. I know thousands flock every year to see the Pope in hopes that he will lay his hands on them and bless them. We often feel honored when someone we really respect takes time for us, even if it is only an honest handshake and a few words. For some these moments are life-transforming moments.

      So just because someone gets down on a child’s level and pays attention to them, perhaps even returning a hug initiated by the child, doesn’t mean the touch was inappropriate. We all need many more hugs than we get. I know Ebola virus and flesh eating viruses are out there, but I don’t think it is time to stop exchanging appropriate gestures of support.

Racked with Guilt

Mark 6:14-29

      Guilt and revenge can cause us to act in very unexpected ways. And those reactions can happen no matter who we are or what social class we belong to. These reactions are human, and therefore cross all boundaries. The real question is not whether we have guilt and feelings of revenge, but what we do with those feelings.

      As we have seen in our own political landscape here in the USA, power in the hands of a few corrupts. Laws get passed. Laws get ignored. The normal procedures get ignored. Things are rushed. Backroom deals become the new way of legislation. Promises of change and openness go out the window like smoke from a crack pipe. Special privileges are granted. Frugality is preached while spending millions on more vacations. Do as I say, not as I do.

      John the Baptist had spoken the truth to power, and power had not liked it. The king’s wife was bent on revenge for having been made to feel guilty and having her sin pointed out to her. The king ends up racked with guilt after his wife’s plan and his ego get the better of him. What a mess! And their daughter ends up holding the bag, so to speak.

      There is a much better response to sin. Rather than running from it and then plotting revenge when your sin is exposed, the Scriptures give us the perfect antidote. When we confess our sins, they can be forgiven, and cleansing can take place. But this requires us to be humble enough to admit guilt. We must take responsibility for our actions. Some things are our fault! Finger pointing isn’t acceptable when you are guilty.

      But confession can be hard. We must say the same thing about our sin that the LORD says about our sin. That is confession. It is not enough to say the words, we must understand the implications of our actions on those around us. We must take responsibility for the hurt that we caused other people.

      Several places around the world have conducted reconciliation courts, where the perpetrators of violence face the victims of their violence and take responsibility for what they did. They look each other in the eye, and see the pain and the remorse in each other. And when there is a full accounting, revenge disappears.

      When the political landscape changes here in the USA, it would be easy for the new powers to take revenge on the old powers, punishing political rivals in the process. It would be easy. They could just use the coercive powers that were used against them. Silence the media. Cut off access to those who oppose. Demonize any alternative plan. Question every motive of the opponent.

      But grace requires us to take an alternative path. When someone wrongs us, we are to not strike back. We are told to withhold judgment of their motives and allow the LORD to handle the situation. We are to remain as servants, even of those who oppressed us. We are called to a much more difficult, even impossible path, the path of grace.