I was thinking about the time when people were bringing their children to Jesus, and the disciples got all upset about it. The picture I used to have was of Jesus sitting down in a village square with all these mums queuing up to have their children blessed by Jesus. Perhaps it had been the end of a busy day, and perhaps the disciples were tired and thought Jesus needed some rest and peace too. Maybe the queue was just a bit too long…..
Actually I think the scene was a little different. For one thing, reading the account, it was inside a house, in Capernaum. This would be the house that had previously had part of its roof removed to allow a man to be lowered down to where Jesus was speaking. It is called ‘the house’ and ‘home’ in the gospel accounts. It was obviously quite a big house because when the man was lowered through the roof, Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were there “from every village of Galilee and Judaea – and from Jerusalem”. That’s a lot of people, plus all the locals that squeezed in.
So, we’ve got Jesus in a big house (home) which has recently been repaired after the last time He had a crowd in. We have irritable disciples, and we have children running all over. Fun times! This is not our Western family home for mum, dad and 2 children with visitors coming politely into the front room. This is a largish Middle Eastern home with several generations coming and going, and all quite relaxed. People in and out of the rooms. Children wandering freely. Informal. Home.
I think it started like this; Jesus is playing with some of the children. One child gets up on His knee and promptly gets tickled. Soon others are up and down, enjoying the fun and just feeling drawn to the Presence which this man carried – a Presence that made them feel instantly safe, secure and loved. As they came and went Jesus was putting His hand on them and blessing them, almost casually – as you do. In the child-led atmosphere it may have only been a couple of words said, but He blessed them and they felt something. Parents noticed and were bringing their children from other parts of the house….”come and see what’s going on in here”. Other parents outside the house were coming as word spread.
It was too much for the disciples though. Chaos and disorder! So they tried to call halt. What Jesus says is revealing; ‘don’t stop these kids. The Kingdom of God belongs to people like this’. It belongs to those who clamour to be up on His knee, who love to be around Him, who want to have fun with Him, who feel quite safe with Him. But you only feel safe with Him if you know what He is like and how He feels about you. The children knew. Do we?
There was a woman who’d been ill for 12 years. She had been well off but lost it all paying doctors bills with no result. Society shunned her. She was supposed to isolate herself. She was ill, lonely and desperate. She took a big risk and joined the crowd following Jesus, not wanting to be recognised and then publicly shamed. She was in a crowd, but alone. She forced her way through and managed to just touch the edge of His coat, and was instantly healed. Not just healed, but socially acceptable again. But one thing she still needed, and Jesus knew what it was. He said to her “Daughter, your faith has healed you”. He could have said ‘Woman’. What she needed to hear was ‘Daughter’ – ‘My daughter’ ‘I love you’. How long had it been since she had been called ‘daughter’? He didn’t just want her healed, he wanted her whole.
She had felt distant and cautious. She approached not knowing Him. When she left she knew. I can be safe with a Jesus like this, can you?
There was a man with leprosy (Luke 5). An outcast because of his contagious disease. Shunned, unwanted, alone. He begged Jesus to heal him and make him clean. Jesus could have just said a word and the man would have been healed. But Jesus touched him. He didn’t have to, but he knew what the man needed was not just to be healed, but to be whole. How long since the man had felt human touch, love and affection?
He approached Jesus unsure of the outcome. He felt he had to beg for healing. He didn’t know Jesus. When he left, he knew. I can be safe with a Jesus like this, can you?
So, let’s put aside the religious notions of a distant God who is remote; a God who in theory loves us but may well let us down and disappoint us. A God who is nowhere to be found when the going is tough.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being
Hebrews 1v3
What could possibly hold you back from trusting Jesus absolutely? You are completely safe with Him.
Church is out there 