In his book Living Jesus, Luke Timothy Johnson reminds me how important ministry to children is. He says,
“The saints are those who serve the needs of the world’s poor and outcast, the little ones who have no power of their own. The child in Mark 9:36-37 represents all the world’s little ones, not merely because of stature, but because the child signifies everything that a world based on the denial of God wishes to exclude” (p. 51).
Unfortunately, we often desire to associate only with those who will improve our own reputation and move us higher up in social standing. In our fallen condition, we tend to naturally gravitate toward those who make us look more important and feel better about ourselves.
The world wants nothing to do with the poor and outcast, unless of course our charity toward the poor somehow still manages to result in more power and prestige for ourselves. Very few people actually go out of their way to care for the poor without some sort of desire for selfish benefit behind it.
But this is the beauty of the gospel. This is the beauty of Christianity. This is the beauty of Christ’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Christ followers not only love Jesus, but they also love their neighbor and care for the needy. This all takes place without a desire for recognition or fame, but by simply being filled with Christ’s Spirit and following His example.
Having experienced the love of Christ, who humbled Himself and became a servant to the poor, Christians then are empowered by Christ to follow His example in their own lives.
In our love and service toward others, there’s no expectation of anything in return except the knowledge that we are pleasing God in our service of others. This is a far greater reward in itself than a life that is devoted to selfishness and vain conceit.
The power of ministering to children is that they don’t give you much of anything in return. I don’t think I’ve ever had a child tell me, “Thank you for the lesson today. I learned so much. You helped it all make sense to me.”
Children’s lack of appreciation doesn’t invalidate ministering to them. I trust these little ones are slowly growing in their knowledge of the gospel so that they can enjoy a life of worshipful obedience to their Lord and Savior.
I really believe that I learn Jesus more and more by working with these little ones week after week.
Luke Johnson says it well:
“Small wonder that those whose lives are consumed by the love of Jesus should so consistently spend themselves in service to these little ones of the earth, for the truly faithful are convinced that in serving the little ones they are serving Christ, and that in learning those little ones they are in the most direct way possible learning Jesus” (p. 55).
And he extends this principle to all types of powerless and needy people.
“We shall not be able to learn Jesus in the sick and imprisoned unless we visit those who are sick and imprisoned. We shall not find Jesus in the hungry and thirsty unless we go to those who are hungry with food and thirsty with drink. We shall not meet Jesus in the stranger unless we provide the stranger with hospitality” (p. 202).