WEBVTT 00:01.100 --> 00:04.100 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:05.600 --> 00:07.200 I'm not Pastor Daenzer 00:07.200 --> 00:09.300 he got called up for jury duty. 00:09.500 --> 00:13.400 So you guys are stuck with a second-stringer so my apologies there. 00:16.600 --> 00:21.300 Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for to such 00:21.300 --> 00:23.500 belongs the kingdom of God. 00:25.700 --> 00:27.200 For every drunken peasant 00:27.200 --> 00:32.200 there's two sides of a horse to fall on two ways to fall off of it. 00:32.800 --> 00:37.100 Just so there's more than one way to hinder the little children. 00:38.100 --> 00:41.700 It's, of course, possible to hinder them as the disciples did to 00:41.700 --> 00:45.100 literally prevent them from hearing, and receiving the word of God, to 00:45.300 --> 00:50.000 stop them from coming to Jesus and preventing them from receiving the 00:50.000 --> 00:54.100 Lord's gifts, even when the children are eager and ready to receive 00:54.100 --> 00:54.500 them. 00:55.700 --> 00:59.400 On the other hand, the other side of the horse, it's possible to 00:59.400 --> 01:04.500 hinder the little children, passively by a type of permissiveness, by an 01:04.800 --> 01:10.800 apathy to the vocation of father, or Pastor even. One way to get at, 01:10.800 --> 01:14.800 this is, of course, through the in the modern incarnation of the Saint 01:14.800 --> 01:16.400 Nicholas myth. 01:17.600 --> 01:19.200 This myth of Saint, Nicholas 01:19.200 --> 01:23.800 as most people know it today, reflects a culture, a permissive 01:23.800 --> 01:28.200 culture, a culture, fearful of discipline eager to deceive an 01:28.200 --> 01:32.800 unwilling to train up their children in the fear and instruction of 01:32.800 --> 01:38.400 the Lord. The myth gives parents a tool to enforce a kind of faux 01:38.400 --> 01:42.000 discipline for the month of December, a discipline without any real 01:42.000 --> 01:43.000 teeth in it. 01:43.500 --> 01:47.000 And the children, learn a discipline and obedience 01:47.100 --> 01:50.000 by means of a fearful expectation of something that they 01:50.000 --> 01:52.400 eventually learn, will not really happen. 01:52.800 --> 01:56.100 No, child ever really gets a lump of coal in their stocking. 01:56.100 --> 02:01.600 In fact, I imagine the more wicked, the child, the louder, he will cry 02:01.600 --> 02:03.400 and complain when he doesn't get what he wants. 02:03.600 --> 02:08.400 And therefore also the more likely he is to get what he wants. 02:10.699 --> 02:15.700 Seems to me, the church has fallen on this side of the horse on this 02:15.900 --> 02:18.500 permissive side, we can say. 02:19.600 --> 02:23.000 It may be indeed, argued that generations of previous 02:23.000 --> 02:26.400 hindered, the little ones through excessive discipline, through layers 02:26.400 --> 02:29.800 of study or pious hoops through which the children had to jump in 02:29.800 --> 02:34.200 order to receive our Lord's gifts and blessings. Or it may be simply 02:34.200 --> 02:34.700 the crass 02:34.700 --> 02:38.200 way the disciples did literally stopping the children from being taken 02:38.200 --> 02:40.300 up in the arms of Jesus because they thought he didn't 02:40.500 --> 02:41.500 have time for them. 02:42.300 --> 02:46.800 We however, have hindered them by failing to bring them to Jesus at 02:46.800 --> 02:47.400 all. 02:48.300 --> 02:53.000 We have failed to inculcate, a Christian discipline. Our instruction 02:53.100 --> 02:59.000 has become weak and thin like butter spread over too much bread, 02:59.300 --> 02:59.800 we might say. 03:01.600 --> 03:05.400 The one hand, we are a little afraid that discipline will hurt them. 03:06.300 --> 03:08.600 How many of us with our own children or watching 03:08.600 --> 03:11.900 others with children have chosen instead of discipline for bad 03:11.900 --> 03:17.400 behavior or a positive instruction simply to look the other way or to 03:17.400 --> 03:20.900 tell ourselves all that for the child it's just a phase he'll grow out 03:20.900 --> 03:25.000 of it. And after a lifetime of failure to discipline, are we really so 03:25.000 --> 03:29.100 surprised when the child falls away from the church when God sends 03:29.100 --> 03:31.200 discipline later in life. As He 03:31.300 --> 03:32.900 indeed promises to do. 03:34.400 --> 03:39.200 We also fail on the to bring or we hinder the children by failing to 03:39.200 --> 03:41.000 prioritize the word of God 03:41.100 --> 03:46.100 and to teach the word of God in our homes. Consider almost any aspect 03:46.100 --> 03:51.100 of a child's life today sports, education, entertainment, a social 03:51.100 --> 03:56.200 activity, pick any of them and how often have we chosen entertainment 03:56.200 --> 04:00.600 for example, over sitting around God's word at the dinner table. How 04:00.600 --> 04:03.700 often have we preferred to find an education for our children 04:04.000 --> 04:05.600 that sets them up for success later 04:05.600 --> 04:08.600 in this temporal life, without any concern, for the Eternal 04:08.600 --> 04:13.000 consequences of their preparation for the for eternal life. 04:14.300 --> 04:17.899 If we have failed to inculcate, this utter priority of the word of 04:17.899 --> 04:20.899 God, over every aspect of life. 04:21.399 --> 04:25.300 Can we really be surprised that in the end they choose sports or 04:25.300 --> 04:29.400 career or their own personal happiness over God? 04:31.100 --> 04:35.600 Now, it also seems to me that this failure is particularly evident in 04:35.600 --> 04:36.600 the parsonage. 04:37.800 --> 04:41.600 There's an idea that the pastor's children ought not be held to a 04:41.600 --> 04:43.400 higher standard than other children. 04:43.600 --> 04:47.300 And in one sense that's true because it's not in fact, the children 04:47.300 --> 04:51.700 whom God calls to a holds to a higher standard, but the pastor. 04:52.100 --> 04:55.400 God holds him to a higher standard and the discipline and instruction 04:55.400 --> 04:59.500 of his own family in the faith is part of that higher standard. 04:59.500 --> 05:01.800 The pastor must manage his household 05:01.800 --> 05:07.000 well for if he cannot do that, neither, can he manage the household of 05:07.000 --> 05:07.500 God. 05:09.600 --> 05:15.400 Dear brothers, do not hinder, the little children by apathy. Do not 05:15.400 --> 05:18.600 fall off the horse on the other side. 05:19.600 --> 05:23.400 Now, if the myth of Saint, Nicholas reflects our failures as a culture 05:23.500 --> 05:25.300 and our failures is a Christian people. 05:25.400 --> 05:29.300 It also on the other hand, reflects the goodness and greatness of our 05:29.300 --> 05:29.900 savior. 05:30.500 --> 05:34.000 The myth rightly tells of Christ's love for children. 05:34.400 --> 05:39.000 Jesus loves the little children. Children of every race and nation and 05:39.000 --> 05:39.300 tribe. 05:39.600 --> 05:43.000 He raised children from the dead, he cast out demons from them. 05:43.100 --> 05:47.100 He healed them from diseases and sicknesses, he took up the little 05:47.100 --> 05:50.400 children in his arms and he blessed them. 05:51.800 --> 05:56.100 Jesus loves the little children. He welcomes them without reservation 05:56.100 --> 05:59.800 without concern for how good or bad they have been He 06:00.000 --> 06:05.600 never gives coal, only treasure, only goodness, only the entire and full 06:05.600 --> 06:07.200 gift of himself. 06:08.400 --> 06:11.400 Now at times he does indeed send discipline when such discipline is 06:11.400 --> 06:12.000 needed. 06:12.000 --> 06:14.500 And that discipline may seem painful for a time. 06:14.800 --> 06:19.000 But all this discipline and all this instruction serves another 06:19.000 --> 06:21.000 purpose to deliver his great 06:21.000 --> 06:24.000 and in this blessing his riches beyond compare. Indeed 06:24.000 --> 06:26.800 Tthe very reason for the seasonHimself. 06:28.000 --> 06:32.300 You see, in this season, we celebrate Jesus, taking on human vesture. 06:33.000 --> 06:37.000 Taking on not the body of some superhero, not some potentate, or 06:37.000 --> 06:42.300 political leader, but a 10 fingered 10 toed, pooping, crying, cooing, 06:42.300 --> 06:42.900 giggling 06:42.900 --> 06:45.900 infant, who nursed at Mary's breast. 06:46.400 --> 06:51.300 That's how the kingdom of God begins to come in the flesh of that 06:51.300 --> 06:56.700 infant in the wisdom of that child in the power and strength of that 06:56.700 --> 06:57.300 newborn. 06:58.500 --> 07:02.800 Yes, Jesus loves the little children because at one time, he also, he, 07:02.800 --> 07:05.500 the all-powerful all-knowing all creating God. 07:05.500 --> 07:10.100 He also snuggled against his mother Mary dependent entirely on her for 07:10.100 --> 07:11.500 sustenance and life. 07:12.600 --> 07:15.700 He also depended on his father to bring him up in the fear and 07:15.700 --> 07:18.600 instruction of the Lord. Depended on his father, to bring him to the 07:18.600 --> 07:20.100 temple from which place 07:20.100 --> 07:25.200 He also received the blessings of God. Until such time, as He made 07:25.200 --> 07:26.100 himself known. 07:27.000 --> 07:30.900 And in that Revelation, he revealed to the place of God's blessing, 07:31.100 --> 07:32.900 the location of God's favor. 07:32.900 --> 07:35.200 He made known God's gift to the world. 07:35.200 --> 07:39.600 A priceless gift given without cost. He revealed the kingdom of God 07:40.000 --> 07:42.000 that is, he revealed himself. 07:43.600 --> 07:45.300 All of you also have entered 07:45.300 --> 07:50.300 this Kingdom entered into his body in that same state as a young 07:50.300 --> 07:55.400 child. Regardless of the age, you are physically at your baptism for 07:55.400 --> 07:59.800 in the birthing Waters of baptism, everyone receives as a young child. 07:59.800 --> 08:03.700 Everyone receives from the hand of Christ. Is washed 08:03.700 --> 08:08.800 by that hand is marked by that hand and is blessed by that same hand. 08:10.200 --> 08:13.800 Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for to such 08:13.800 --> 08:15.500 belongs the kingdom of God, 08:15.500 --> 08:17.700 Jesus says. Truly, I say to you, 08:17.700 --> 08:21.100 Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God, like a child 08:22.100 --> 08:23.200 shall not enter it. 08:25.500 --> 08:29.200 When it's your turn, those of you who are studying for the office of 08:29.200 --> 08:32.700 the ministry, or for those of you who are already in this office. When 08:32.700 --> 08:37.500 it's your turn to be God's hand, may your hand be one of blessing. 08:38.900 --> 08:43.100 May it bless the little children. Practice, now on your own little 08:43.100 --> 08:43.799 children. 08:44.200 --> 08:45.100 Bless them. 08:45.400 --> 08:46.500 Bless them when they go to bed. 08:46.500 --> 08:47.800 Bless them when they wake up. 08:47.900 --> 08:48.400 Bless them 08:48.400 --> 08:52.600 when they come into the house of God. Bless them when they leave. Bless 08:52.600 --> 08:53.500 the little children. 08:54.500 --> 08:57.600 For to such belongs the kingdom of God. 08:58.800 --> 08:59.800 In the name of Jesus. 09:01.200 --> 09:01.600 Amen.