The importance of our influence of the children of the world - Matthew 19:13-15 a story, an observation and a prayer

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19:13-15 (The Message)
One-day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." After laying hands on them, he left.

A STORY: - source unknown
One of the most charming stories in the life of Jesus is that of our Lord taking a little child into his arms. The apostles had been arguing as to which of them was the greatest. Jesus told them, “If any man wishes to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Then he took a little child, and set the child in the midst of them, and taking the child into his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child for my sake, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Legend has it that this little boy taken up into the arms of Jesus became the great St. Ignatius of Antioch who gave his life for Christ in the year 107 AD. While still a boy, Ignatius often took his companions to the spot where Jesus held him and told his friends, “Look, here is the place the Lord Jesus took me in his arms and embraced me.”

Call this a legend, a medieval fiction, if you will, we do know positively that Jesus did embrace a little child.

AN OBSERVATION:
I think we all can agree that the world is in a mess and doesn’t seem to be getting any better. But, all around us are God’s affirmations that he believes in our future. All around us are God’s affirmations that there is God given hope. All around us are little persons that look at the world through a set of eyes and all they see is beauty and promise and possibility. God’s affirmations are the children of our world.

Children have to be taught to hate. They have to learn to not trust people that are different. They have to see examples of how to be mean and nasty to other people. They have see anger and hatred modeled before they consistently exemplify those particular behavior traits in themselves.

Each of us is setting an example to a pair of eyes – often eyes that go unrecognized. We can never know when a pair of young person’s eyes is trained in on us. We never know what example we are setting for them. We never know what part of our behavior they will choose to follow. We never know … so why not live a life that we would be proud of to see in someone else?

PRAYER:
God make us sensitive to those around us, especially the children. Help us to watch our tongue, our attitude, our action and reaction … helps us live a life that only brings glory to you and builds up young men and women who will be running this world. Lord, we have made a mess of it, but maybe these new signs of hope and promise can turn it around to your glory. In Jesus’ name we ask this. Amen