Holidays

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15 ESV).

“Tis the season”… at least for holidays. Last week was Thanksgiving. Perhaps you got some time off from work to enjoy with your friends and family. If you have younger children that you care for, you were also busy with them while they were on holiday from school. Perhaps you have taken a trip to one of the malls or larger department stores and brought your children to see “Santa.” Most react with joy and unbridled happiness; however, there are those few who somehow are simply overcome with fear and anxiety. They scream and kick trying to secure their freedom from the jolly old elf’s lap. The photographer does their best trying to capture some moment of the experience that doesn’t reflect that terror. Inevitably they will fail miserably, even with mom and dad cajoling and cooing to quiet their unruly charges. I can’t imagine what it feels like for the person playing the part of Santa. No one can long tolerate that kind of abuse. Our reading reflects another time and a different line of children waiting to see a great Man. I can imagine how the parents pushed and shoved their children, hoping the famous prophet would touch them. His assistants, thinking they were protecting Him from unwanted demands, tried to keep the kids away, but this man was indignant with His assistants. He said, “Let the children come to Me.” He took them in His arms and hugged them, and all the kids loved Him. The man’s name was Jesus. He showed His well-intentioned disciples how important children are to God. They all seemed to recognize His love and concern for them individually. It was an opportunity for Jesus to teach both his disciples and the parents of the children an important lesson. Jesus said, “… to such belongs the Kingdom of God.” Their unashamed faith and trust of Jesus illustrate the trust we are to have in Him. Additionally, we see the incredible need to make time for family. The man who lived an incredibly busy life, but was never too busy for children painted a clear picture in real life for all of us. There are many ways to do that. Sometimes a child’s importance is shown when we give a listening ear or a hug. These are those moments when time is what they want and need. When it comes to your kids, ask the Lord to help you be like Jesus. No job is more important than that. The holidays are a parenthesis in our busy schedules when we may be able to give the gift of time to our children more than ever. Try it.