The key idea from Mark 10:14 is that Jesus loves covenant children. He loves and cares for children, he wants them to come to him. If Jesus loves children, how can we make sure that we encourage them to come to Jesus rather than hindering them?
Teach. We must teach our children the gospel. Parents have been given the primary responsibility for teaching and training their children in the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Proverbs 1:1 – 7:25; Ephesians 6:4). This involves not only teaching them how to live in God’s world (e.g., how to eat, how to use money) but also teaching them about the Lord. Parents must make sure their children learn what the Bible teaches us about God.
Encourage parents in the church to ask their children some questions each week about the sermon and what they heard. Parents can explain if something was unclear.
Encourage parents in the church to read the Bible with their children if they are able to do so. Otherwise, they can sing psalms together or listen to the Bible on audio. Setting aside a regular time each day for Bible reading and prayer with children is one of the ways in which parents can teach their children God’s truth.
Encourage parents to make use of a catechism to teach their children. The Heidelberg Catechism was produced especially for this purpose. It contains 129 questions and answers that parents can use. Children can be encouraged to memorize the catechism. It will give them a good and thorough knowledge of the truths of God’s Word. The Heidelberg Catechism is available in numerous different languages.
Encourage parents to teach their children God’s truth in the same way they themselves would learn a new language. If you’ve ever tried learning a new language, you will know that grammar and books are helpful but they can only take you so far. If you really want to learn a language, you must immerse yourself in the language itself. When you hear it every day, when you make attempts to speak it, that is the best way to learn a language. And the same holds true for teaching our children from God’s Word. If our family lives are immersed in the language of the gospel, our children will learn what it means to come to Jesus. Not only will they hear God’s words of truth, but they will see their parents confessing their sin to one another when there has been failure, and granting each other forgiveness. Not only will they hear Jesus calling us to follow him, but they will learn what that means when you make choices to prioritize family worship instead of entertainment. When you encourage them to give from their weekly allowance, when you do not allow sporting commitments or homework to creep into the Lord’s day and stop you from meeting with God’s people for public worship.
Encourage parents to welcome children to worship. Children should be part of the worship service. The kingdom of God belongs also to them. Children should sit together with their parents during public worship on the Lord’s day. They should not be sent away to another room as if they do not belong or are only welcome when they have reached a certain age. Parents will need to be taught how to help their children stay attentive during worship. Ministers will also need to think together with elders about the length of sermons and the service as a whole so that children are able to participate.
Encourage all church members to look out for children in our community. There are lots of children in our communities who do not have the privilege of hearing the gospel week by week. Pray for opportunities to befriend them. If you work in a school, maybe look for chances to teach them from God’s Word. If they live in your neighbourhood, remember they can also be invited to join us at church with their parents permission. Rather than having a Sunday school, try to join these children to families so that they can learn the Bible truths in a family setting.
Pray. We must pray regularly for the children in our homes and churches. If you are a parent and you have children in your home, pray for them. Pray not only for their physical well being and temporal concerns, but pray that they might come to know Jesus for themselves and embrace the promises which God has made to them in their baptism. Not only should parents pray for their own children, but as churches we should regularly be praying for the children in church community. Jesus loves and cares for covenant children, therefore we must pray for them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.