Come and See What We Treasure!

The God Who Welcomes You!
(as you welcome others!)
Mark 9:30-37

May the grace of God our Father the Lord Jesus Christ welcome you into the Kingdom of God in such a way that you greatly desire to welcome others, and serve them, caring for their needs!

Knock! Knock!

I want you to imagine it’s 7:30 this evening, you are just sitting down to relax after dinner. All of a sudden the door bell rings, and you see two adults and a small child there, looking a little lost, and quite uncomfortable.

They tell you they are on a trip, and have gotten lost, and the young child obviously looks like they need to use a restroom.

Do you let them in?

Let’s say you do, and you had just put away the leftover beastloaf you were looking forward to for lunch for a day or two this week. Do you pull it out and offer them a slice or two?

How far do you go, in trying to help this young family?

What if their names were Joseph, Mary, and Jesus?

When Mark’s gospel says, “³⁷ “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf^* welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me!” do we think of a scenario as I just described? Or do we spiritualize it, and think it is only talking about welcoming people to church and Sunday School…

What does it mean to welcome someone, as we welcome Jesus?

Who’s best? Who deserves to be close?

There are two stories today, the argument about who is best, who is the greatest, and then Jesus lesson about making a child feel welcome, to know they are wanted and valued.

It’s really the same lesson – who is the best, and who deserves to be the closest to Jesus. Who gets preferential treatment, who deserves it.

Is it any different these days? We might not be jealous of who gets a hug from Jesus, but don’t we all have a small sense of entitlement? Doesn’t our idea of “justice” include us getting what we think we deserve? (Notice I didn’t say what we actually deserve – just what we think we deserve.

We might think it is because of where we were born, or how intelligent we are, how old we are, or how many hours we work or volunteer without complaining! But most of us think we deserve something because of who we are, even if we don’t say others deserve less.

But we know they do!

This of course is not new now, nor even at the time of Jesus! Think about the battle between Cain and Abel and Cain’s sense of entitlement.

Or consider these words from Leviticus, “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.“Leviticus 19:15 (NLT2)

This means the underdog doesn’t get the automatic backing. Neither does it mean the one whose the favorite is always right.

To put it theologically, “all have sinned,” and “we believe Christ died for all” 2 Cor. 5:14

So why would one be more entitled than another?

Who is served? Who is embraced?

When Jesus talks to the disciples about being the servant of everyone else, it is not long after he talked about his imminent death and resurrection.

Something the disciples didn’t understand yet, just as they didn’t understand what it means to serve others.

Yet that is what service is based on—the fact that Jesus served and serves us still. That’s what His death is about, that is what the resurrection is about.

Sin had wiped out the human race—all of us. We weren’t just not entitled the benefits of being righteous; we were entitled to being judged for the sin which so easily ensnares us , entitling us to be condemned!

Jesus decided to serve us, because He loves us.

This is the lesson of service—even if someone’s behavior would lead them to be condemned, Jesus died for them.  That is serving the least, that is serving all, working to see them come to know the Lord who would welcome them into His presence, much as he welcomes every child, wrapping His arms around them, assuring them it will be all right.

I love that picture that Mark’s gospel pictures, Jesus taking the child in his arms, welcoming them in His presence! Now take that picture in your mind, and replace the young child with you, bruised and battered by life, and by your own sin. Now, think about the people you know, who are the adversaries, the immoral, the broken…. And see Christ inviting them to come to Him, to be embraced, to be healed by Him—just as you were.

This is the God we Treasure—the God whose light shines through our brokenness, for He dwells in you whom He healed, and is healing.

And as you rest in His hug, you begin to know the peace that passes all understanding—in which you are safe—your heart and mind guarded by Christ Jesus.