Date:
Text: Matthew 19:13-15
Title: God's Special Ones
Theme: Since all of life, including the unborn, are sacred and made in God's image, therefore they are very precious.
Introduction:
This past week marked the 30th anniversary of legalized abortion in this country. Since then, about 40 million infants have been killed by abortion. During this past 30 years, we have witnessed a tremendous change in our social landscape.
Abortion
is often synonymous with choice and reproductive planning. If you are against
abortion, you are often labeled as anti-choice. Who wants to be labeled as an
anti-choice person, right? Or if a friend tells you that she is pregnant, what
is your response? Years ago, we would say, ‘Congratulations!’ But now, we are
not sure whether this person is to be congratulated. Often we, the doctor or
the nurse will say, “Are you happy about this?” “Do you want to look at the
options?” In a recent article in CT, it is reported that in the inner city of
Many churches have designated either last Sunday or today as Sanctity of Life Sunday. On this day, it is appropriate for us to re-examine one aspect our worldview. As followers of Jesus Christ, how do we look at the issue of life, more specifically, how do we look at children, both the born and unborn.
I. Children are gifts from God. Psalm 127:3
After
God created Adam and Eve, he blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth…….” (Genesis
In Gen 4:1, after Eve gave birth to Cain, she said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” This is a simple yet profound statement. Eve recognized that she could not have gotten this child without God. Just as her life was a gift from God, so was her son, Cain. Yes, the child was in her womb, yet a gift from God. She did not have the sole ownership.
Then as we continue to read the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it was about children. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, did not give birth until she was 91 years old. Isaac’s wife, Rebakka, did not have a child until 20 years after the marriage. In both of these situations, God impressed upon them that children were from God. Humanly speaking it was not possible for them to have children, but because of God's intervention, a child was born. It was a gift from God. Several hundred years later, we saw the same pattern with Hanah. She was deeply troubled for not being able to bear a child. She prayed and God answered her prayer and gave her a son, Samuel.
In the OT culture, children were gifts from God, a sign of God's blessing. Therefore when a couple was without child, it often led to pain and polygamy. The psalmist sums it up this way: Psalm 127:3, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward.”
Isn’t this an universal sentiment in all cultures, until recently? Whenever we hear the news of the birth of a child, we congratulate the family. It is a happy news. The family is blessed by the coming of this child. In recent years, we have a different social trend. When the parents are ready, this is a blessing. But when the parents feel they are not ready, financially or emotionally, or they need to advance more in their career, then the child becomes a curse and need to be removed before it is born.
However, as followers of Jesus Christ, it is important that we develop a world view that is consistent to our Lord. In our world view, we must remember that children are God's gift to us. Children certainly means both the born and the unborn ones. They are gifts from God. It really has nothing to do with our readiness or our emotional and physical state. Children are God's gifts to us.
II. Children are very precious to God.
Children are not only gifts from God, but they are also very precious to God. Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” This is about God caring for the little ones. God cares for them because they are precious to him.
Deut 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Here, through Moses, God instructed the parents to teach their children with God's laws. Children are precious to God, therefore he wants to make sure that the parents instruct their little ones properly. It is important that they know God's word so they will not be affected by the surrounding culture.
Exodus
22:22, “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.” Deut
Isn’t this also clear in Jesus' teaching and example? One day while he was doing the adult thing; that is, teaching, someone brought the children to him and wanted him to place his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples thought the kids were rather annoying, disturbing the master’s ministry, so they rebuked the parents and told them to go away. What did Jesus say, Matthew 19:13-15, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” What did Jesus do? He welcomed the little ones. Moreover, he also made a bold statement: if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you need to be like the little children. Children are very precious to him.
What does this mean to us? First, as parents, it is our responsibility to provide and protect our children, physically, emotionally and spiritually. This include that we are to take up the main responsibility of instructing our children with God's word. Often we feel this is the church’s responsibility. So we drop them at church to receive all the Bible instructions. What is even more important is that we teach our children. The church’s role is to reinforce what the children had already learned at home from their parents.
A simple mathematics will make this point clear. There are 168 hours in a week. Our children spend at the most 4 hours a week in the church to receive some form of biblical teaching. The rest of the hours are spent at school and home. If parents don’t teach them, then the society, their schools, friends and classmates will be their teachers. Is that what we want?
Secondly, as a church, we must never forget the importance of the children. Yes, their times with us are limited. But of the hours we have, let us do our best to instruct them with God's words. For there maybe some children, these are the only hours they will be hearing us explaining God's word to them. What a challenge and responsibility.
Thirdly, I want to salute the single parents among us. You work hard during the day and then you also have to care, provide, protect and teach. The demands of life can sometimes be cruel. Yet, you have done a great job in bringing up your children. Please let us know how we, as a community of believers can help you and lessen some of your responsibilities.
Having said that children are precious to God, it is important to recognize that even before birth, children are important and precious. In Genesis 1:26, 27, we learn, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness……So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Here lies the most basic foundational teaching about men. Each person, each life is made in God's image. Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then there are the familiar words in Psalm 139:13-16, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”
This is evident that even before birth, while still in the mother’s womb, the children are very precious to God. For they bear God's image. God has been very active in this child’s creation and formation. God knew this child very well. It is a very precious little life.
III. Abortion is a rejection of God's gift to us.
Children are God's gift to us. Children are very precious in God's sight. This brings to my last point. When there is an abortion, it is not the termination of a pregnancy, but a life which is destroyed and killed. Isn’t it ironic that when we are ready for a child, the child within the womb is a human life. But when we are not ready, when it is inconvenience to us, then it is not a life. There is something wrong with this reasoning, right? We let our subjective feeling determine if this is a life or not. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to develop a biblical worldview, which says, no matter how I feel, children, both born and unborn, are precious to God. Therefore when we have an abortion, we are rejecting God's gift to us.
What does this mean to us? First, I would like to say a few words to those of us who have experienced an abortion. I have not gone that path, therefore I will not be able to understand all of your feelings or reasoning. From my reading and contact with individuals who have such experience, I understand that there is often a sense of guilt, especially if you are a Christian now. We have to face the fact that what we have done is wrong, but our God is very gracious. He loves and cares for you very much. When we come and confess to him our sins, he will forgive you. Since he has forgiven you, you also need to forgive yourself.
Secondly,
many have asked, “What happened to the child who died before birth or in
infancy?” In 2 Samuel
Thirdly, what can we do? You may be able to help those who are considering abortion. You can be their friend and help them emotionally and provide them with material needs. Or you may feel that you need someone to help you with your healing process. After the service today, there is a table in the lobby where you can sign up to offer your assistance or to receive help.
Lastly, since children are so precious to God, shouldn’t we also be involved to help children whose parents have limited resources? At this time, I will ask Josephine to come and share with us what is one thing we can do to help the little ones. (Compassionate International)