more ancient relevance

So if you're reading along and caught up you read/will read in Matthew 18 today. And I love how Jesus raises the value of children in these writings. I peeked ahead a little and he does the same thing in chapter 19. Jesus answered his disciples' question about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven by showing them a child.

Here is what I love so much about this. I looked back in chapter 17 to see where Jesus was. And I'm not sure. It notes he was in Capernaum and I think he and the disciples were hanging out in someones house. So when the questions gets asked, Jesus doesn't need to go out looking for a kid. He was hanging out with them! He simply calls a little child to him. Sounds like close proximity to me.

So two weeks ago I'm sitting in church and when my buddy Pastor Dave gets up at the end of the service to give the benediction ( umm...........that's where he tells us the service is done and we should get out ) he says the most holy thing I've heard for awhile. There had been a little child fussing a little during the service. I remember that. I remember what Dave said. I don't remember what songs we sang or much about the sermon. I'm not even sure who gave the sermon (sorry giver of the sermon). But here is what Dave said. He said he just wanted us all to know that kids are so very welcome in church! He raised the value of little ones.

According to the radical and relevant Jesus, the kingdom is theirs.