"And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them." Mark 10:13-16 (NASB) (Same in Matthew 19 & Luke 18)
Most of us are
pretty familiar with this scripture passage. It's probably one we
have tattooed on our mental "ADOPTION ROCKS" file folder. Jesus loves the children! We love the children! We teach the children to love Jesus! Hallelujah!
But honestly...it's
a passage that always kind of bothered me (GASP.
Beware of lighting strike). As a church culture I think we half roll our eyes at 'those silly disciples--what were you thinking you goof balls?" and quickly turn our attention to a romanticized picture of angelic, perfectly dressed & behaved children sitting patiently at the foot of Christ. (*major eye roll*) COME ON. These are kids we are talking about and in a time without chicken nuggets or in-door plumbing. One hundred bucks says at least nine of those angelic children had a goober on them somewhere...and a mother in the crowd frantically wiping jelly off her Sunday robe. Hardly a picture version King James would approve of.
I've read commentary on this passage that says the
disciples felt that children were too insignificant to be allowed to interrupt
the work of Christ. I suppose that could be true, BUT on multiple
occasions throughout the Gospels it was the disciples who brought Jesus to children who needed
His healing touch. (The nobleman's son was healed in John 4; the daughter of a ruler was restored to life in Matthew 9; the young boy in John 6 who offered his five loaves and two fishes was brought freely to the Lord by the disciples; a demon possessed boy was healed in Luke 9). In fact, in Mark 9, just one chapter before the disciples rebuked the "perfectly angelic" children, Jesus took a small child from among his followers and set him on his lap, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me buy Him who sent Me” (Mark 9: 37). Apparently, those children were significant enough. What
made them different from those seeking his presence in Mark 10?
I think the disciples followed their humanness--like we ALL do, and they brought to the Lord what was comfortable in their own hearts: the nobleman's son; the ruler’s daughter; etc. But the children in Mark 10...?
What made them unworthy or uncomfortable in the disciples’ eyes? Were they the poor or unkempt children? Maybe their Sunday-best were the clothes they had worn all work, well worn & dirty. Were they the children with physical disabilities that maybe took up more space and time? Were they the children with
intellectual or developmental delays that kinda need to do
their own thing sometimes? Maybe the ones that have difficulty managing themselves
in new or large situations? Maybe they were the children who were physically
or emotionally unable to follow traditional social rules and instructions. Maybe
they were the kids that make us uncomfortable in our own church circles…not
because we don’t want to love them, but because we don’t know how. And if we
are really honest, sometimes taking care of ‘those types of people’ (children
and adults alike) forces us out of our comfortable pew just to the left of the
heating/AC vent where we like to worship God…without being disturbed. Is our comfortable
ignorance keeping these precious yet uncomfortable-children from the sweet embrace of their
Savior?
No, I don’t think the disciples believed children
were insignificant. I think maybe THESE kids were harder for the disciples to love and they just didn’t know what to do; and what they did do hindered the children’s
access to the Lord. That angered the Son deeply. Lets make sure we don't do the same.
Special needs ministry in churches is a huge
need. The Christian Orphan Movement means more and more children from difficult
backgrounds (physical, emotional, mental,
spiritual) are waiting at the doors of the American church. If we as disciples of Christ are not
proactively ushering these sweet ones to the heart of the Father, then we are, by default, hindering them.
There are SO MANY amazing ways to meet children with special needs and their families where they are at. There are formal access ministries like Able Church and Camp Daniel. There are also structured curriculum resources available from Joni Erickson Tada and the Key Ministry to name a few. (There are some other links below). If your church or congregation is looking to build an official ministry these are all good places to start. But informal outreaches are equally as necessary. My home church does not have a specific special needs ministries but each of the family resources below we've taken full advantage of!
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Up front on Kids Sunday
(The only child facing the wrong direction...) |
- A quiet or low-stimulation room ("nursing" mother's room) for either parent to participate in worship and/or sermon and safely watch their child(ren) who may be not be able to involve themselves in Sunday school.
- Providing first access to a family style restroom, or augmenting 'baby' changing stations to accommodate a larger child.
- Livestreaming or podcast technology that allows families that need to stay home (or are in the newly adopted cocooning stage) to participate in worship and Word from the comfort of their couch.
- Kids church teachers & volunteers that ASK how to best meet a child's needs. A class room that meets stimulates needs? Basic sign language? Snack/texture changes? Triggers to avoid? Encouragement to give?
- Special training for high schoolers/young adults to be Sunday School Buddies.
- Providing kids church curriculum & crafts to take home if the traditional classroom is not suitable for the child.
- Emphasizing a family's primary ministry is to their children and releasing a parent (or both) from regular ministry 'duties'.
These are examples of simple accommodations that loudly declare "you & your child are valued here in any way you come." I'm sure this was the heart that Jesus was looking for in his disciples in Mark 10. Not gatekeepers of the Gospel, but ushers that say "Jesus is right this way. Let me take your hand and show you the way."
"We urge you dear brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone" (1 Thes 5:14)
SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY RESOURCES
The Able Church http://ablechurch.us
Camp Daniel http://www.campdaniel.org
Key Ministry http://www.keyministry.org
The Inclusive Church https://theinclusivechurch.wordpress.com/
LifeWay Ministries http://www.lifeway.com/n/Ministries/Special-Needs
Joni & Friends http://www.joniandfriends.org/education-and-training/
Children's Ministry Magazine http://childrensministry.com/articles/special-needs-no-child-left-behind/
