Hinder them not
Mark • Sermon • Submitted • 47:36
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· 19 viewsAs Christian fathers we must let our children come to Christ and not hinder them.
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Introduction
Introduction
DL Moody - two and a half converts
Two adults and one child? No, two children and one adult.
Discipling our children is a whole of life affair
length - from the day they are born until the day we die
breadth - we disciple our children in every facet of our and their lives
depth - we know the failings and struggles of our children and they know ours
A recent blog post - 5 ways to make your kids hate church by Tim Pickard
Make sure your faith is something you out only in public
Pray only in front of people
Focus on your morals
Give financially as long as it doesn’t impede your needs
Make church a priority as long as there is nothing else you want to do
Our text this morning tells us something about what our Lord Jesus Christ thinks of our children - our children are not potential church members - they are church members now. Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples “prepare the children to come to me when they are of age, hold them until they understand me”; he says
Viéndolo Jesús, se indignó, y les dijo: Dejad a los niños venir a mí, y no se lo impidáis; porque de los tales es el reino de Dios.
The Bible teaches that children are an inheritance of the Lord:
He aquí, herencia de Jehová son los hijos; Cosa de estima el fruto del vientre.
The Bible teaches that the children of believers are holy and sanctified in the bosom of a Christian home:
Porque el marido incrédulo es santificado en la mujer, y la mujer incrédula en el marido; pues de otra manera vuestros hijos serían inmundos, mientras que ahora son santos.
The Bible teaches us to instruct and discipline our children in the Lord
Instruye al niño en su camino, Y aun cuando fuere viejo no se apartará de él.
Y vosotros, padres, no provoquéis a ira a vuestros hijos, sino criadlos en disciplina y amonestación del Señor.
We have been talking about discipleship the last several Sundays - and I want to continue on that topic this morning. We are called to discipleship to be fishers of men - and the first pond in which we are to catch men alive is in our own home.
I have a very simple outline for you this morning, dads: let your children come to Christ and do not hinder them. That is our Lord’s command.
Context of the Passage
Context of the Passage
This event is presented to us in the Gospel of Mark and in Matthew’s Gospel as well right after Jesus’ teaching on divorce. As we read in our passage, the teaching on divorce emerged from the Pharisees attempt to trick Jesus - to get him to come down on one or the other side of a thorny theological issue that had been in contention for several centuries.
The Pharisees ask Jesus:
Y se acercaron los fariseos y le preguntaron, para tentarle, si era lícito al marido repudiar a su mujer.
They are drawing on the so-called halakic debate over divorce. This debate hinged on the interpretation of
Cuando alguno tomare mujer y se casare con ella, si no le agradare por haber hallado en ella alguna cosa indecente, le escribirá carta de divorcio, y se la entregará en su mano, y la despedirá de su casa.
An “indecent thing” erwat dabar was interpreted differently by two opposing rabbinic schools - The School of Shammai held that the erwat dabar was only sexual immorality, and the School of Hillel thought that erwat dabar could refer to anything including childlessness or even failure to complete household chores.
Jesus’ teaching, of course, is that God hates divorce, that the joining together of a man and a woman in holy matrimony is of God and that divorce is permitted only due to our own hardness of hearts.
This was really hot stuff - it was divine words from the Lamb of God on an issue that was pressing in the day. The disciples, undoubtedly, were blown away by our Lord’s words and in the middle of it our scene pops up.
Our scene is one in which men and women are bringing their children to Jesus so that he might bless them.
This is line with Jewish custom of bringing children to receive a blessing from a Rabbi or elder at or around the Day of Atonement.
Luke’s account gives us further insight into what’s going on here. If you’ll turn with me to
Y le traían aun a los niños muy pequeños para que los tocara, pero al ver esto los discípulos, los reprendían. Mas Jesús, llamándolos a su lado, dijo: Dejad que los niños vengan a mí, y no se lo impidáis, porque de los que son como estos es el reino de Dios.
Luke’s account suggest that these were not only children but even infants. The Greek word paidea is used in Mark and Matthew’s account meaning something like our general word “children.” Luke uses the Greek word brefo which means “infant” or “baby”.
Luke also uses an imperfect tense for the verb ‘to bring’ which suggests that this was not a one time occurence. This is something that Jesus’ followers did repeatedly.
The disciples were bothered by it most likely because it was occurring at an inopportune time. They were in the middle of a weighty theological discussion and Jesus, they thought, had better things to do than to be blessing children - even babies!
But Jesus uses the instance as an object lesson for his disciples. Mark tells us that he was even upset that the disciples would try to keep him from blessing the children. And he provides the disciples vital instruction - vital instruction for them and vital instruction for all believing parents:
Viéndolo Jesús, se indignó, y les dijo: Dejad a los niños venir a mí, y no se lo impidáis; porque de los tales es el reino de Dios.
So, let’s look at this instruction more carefully.
Let the children come to me
Let the children come to me
The Greek word for ‘let’ is aphete which is an action verb that may mean to loose, to allow or even to guide. In the sense that our Lord is using it here, it seems to mean the activity of guiding or directing our children.
Jesus is giving his approval to the mothers and fathers that are bringing their children to him for blessing. He is approving of the action of the fathers and mothers of leading their children to Christ.
The Bible teaches that as parents we are to teach God’s truths to our children:
y las repetirás a tus hijos, y hablarás de ellas estando en tu casa, y andando por el camino, y al acostarte, y cuando te levantes.
that we are to make God’s truth notable to our children:
El que vive, el que vive, éste te dará alabanza, como yo hoy; el padre hará notoria tu verdad a los hijos.
That we are to instruct them in the ways of the Lord
Instruye al niño en su camino, Y aun cuando fuere viejo no se apartará de él.
The Bible also teaches that we are to set a positive example for our children. Remember King Uzziah
E hizo lo recto ante los ojos de Jehová, conforme a todas las cosas que había hecho Amasías su padre.
Application
Application
So how do we direct children to the Lord? We teach them God’s Word directly. We memorize Scripture and repeat it to them all throughout their lives. We make God’s truths notorious in our lives. God’s truth is notable in everything we do. It is notable in how we treat our wives. It is notable in how we do our jobs. I have been overjoyed by many of you men who are taking your children with you to work in the summer. Brothers, there is no better opportunity to show your children how to be God-honoring workers than to take your children with you to work.
This is the last Sunday that I will be addressing you in some time, so I think it is fitting to repeat now something I shared with you way back when I first addressed you as a church. Nothing has shaped my life or my walk with the Lord more than accompanying my father in his mission work in Nicaragua, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
This is a word of encouragement for you dads. The time is short. Your kids will be adults before you know it. So use this time to teach them God’s Word and to live it out for them to see and to remember as they get older.
Hinder them not
Hinder them not
The Greek word for “hinder” is koluo and it means to cause something not to happen. Paul uses the word to speak of things that have prevented him from coming to Rome
Pero no quiero, hermanos, que ignoréis que muchas veces me he propuesto ir a vosotros (pero hasta ahora he sido estorbado), para tener también entre vosotros algún fruto, como entre los demás gentiles.
Peter uses it when he reports to the church the conversion of Cornelius
Si Dios, pues, les concedió también el mismo don que a nosotros que hemos creído en el Señor Jesucristo, ¿quién era yo que pudiese estorbar a Dios?
Jesus’ use here is similar. As believing parents we have a marvellous opportunity to share the Gospel with our children - to show them what living the Christian life is all about. But at the same time, we also have the power to prevent them from coming in pursuit of Christ.
The Lord’s command is clear: “hinder them not”
The Bible teaches that parents can instruct their children contrary to the Word of God. Remember Herod’s daughter:
Ella, instruida primero por su madre, dijo: Dame aquí en un plato la cabeza de Juan el Bautista.
The Bible teaches that we can transmit idolatry to our children:
antes se fueron tras la imaginación de su corazón, y en pos de los baales, según les enseñaron sus padres.
Finally, the Bible teaches that we can hinder our children by setting a bad example:
E hizo lo malo ante los ojos de Jehová, y anduvo en el camino de su padre, y en el camino de su madre, y en el camino de Jeroboam hijo de Nabat, que hizo pecar a Israel;
Application
Application
So, dad’s are we hindering our children this morning? Are we hindering them by teaching them that some things are just more important than God - football, work, money? Are we hindering them by teaching them to value other things above God? Are we hindering them by the way we treat our wives?
The Scriptures tell us
Vosotros, maridos, igualmente, vivid con ellas sabiamente, dando honor a la mujer como a vaso más frágil, y como a coherederas de la gracia de la vida, para que vuestras oraciones no tengan estorbo.
Are we hindering them by the way we work our jobs?
Siervos, obedeced en todo a vuestros amos terrenales, no sirviendo al ojo, como los que quieren agradar a los hombres, sino con corazón sincero, temiendo a Dios.
Do we work serving the eye and pleasing men or do we work with a sincere heart in service, first and foremost, to the Lord?
Conclusion
Conclusion
So beloved brothers, this is our high calling - our foundational ministry -
Viéndolo Jesús, se indignó, y les dijo: Dejad a los niños venir a mí, y no se lo impidáis; porque de los tales es el reino de Dios.
Let’s let our children come to the Lord by teaching them His truth, by living his truth in every aspect of our lives and let’s not hinder their progress.
If there is one thing that I have learned in my years in ministry it is that our preaching is only as good as our life of piety. If we live a life that does not preach the Gospel without a word, the words that we use to preach the Gospel will always be hollow and void.
It was John Calvin who said: “It is presumption and sacrilege to drive far from the fold of Christ those whom he cherishes in his bosom, and to shut the door and exclude as strangers those whom he does not wish to be forbidden to come to him”. Let’s take this to heart this morning and redouble our efforts to bring up our children in the discipline and admonition of our faithful Lord Jesus Christ!