I was reading this morning from Matthew 21. It's the passage about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. On a donkey.
As he enters the people are gathered and shouting out praise to God: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" Beautiful scene. Must have been emotional.
Obviously, this was not the reception the Pharisees wanted Jesus to have, so they were a bit ticked. It's pretty amazing. They confront Jesus after hearing children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Beautiful. It says they were indignant and that they said to Jesus, "Do you hear what these are saying?"
Here's what I got hung up on. Jesus answers, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?" I happened to be reading in the NLT which reads, "You have taught children and infants to give you praise.'"
That's what hit me. God has prepared praise from little children. Jesus said (quoting Psalm 8) that He has prepared praise from children and infants. He has taught them to give praise.
As a pastor I work hard to teach people praise. Praise that the Father seeks. Praise that comes from true worshippers, those who worship the Father in spirit and truth.
But I'm also a father, the pastor of my home. And I wonder if I am working as hard to teach my children to praise, the way the Father seeks? God has prepared them for praise. Have I? Am I getting in the way of what God has prepared?
I want to be a catalyst for the kind of praise that God has already prepared my children, and even infants, to proclaim.
3 comments:
As my four year old daughter once said to me, "I think Jesus loves children the most." I don't think you can quantify God's love but I do think that there is scriptural support of God loving children in a unique and special way. Jesus even said, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me..." Why the children’s ministries of many churches have few men volunteer and is often not thought of much during budget meetings is a mystery.
http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/videos/thinksmaller
Dwight L. Moody, evangelist
"If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!"
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