Jesus Welcomes Children

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 10:13-16. This text is far more than a heart-warming scene. Children are brought to Jesus because they are in need of His eternal gifts of forgiveness and salvation, and Jesus desires to give it to them. Jesus’ disciples, however, have failed to recognize their Lord’s priorities. They see children as a hindrance to what they think Jesus’ work as Messiah should be. Jesus teaches and corrects their thinking. He welcomes the children because the kingdom of God belongs to those like them. As children bring nothing of their own but are entirely dependent upon the help of the others, so those who would enter the kingdom of God can bring nothing of their own but instead rely fully upon Jesus as their Savior.  “The Gospel in Action” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Mark. The Evangelist hits the ground running with the very first verse of his Gospel account, and he never lets up the pace. As one deed of Jesus comes right after another, always paired with His authoritative Word, St. Mark proclaims the good news that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, revealed conclusively by His death on the cross.