May 11, 2025: Jesus Blesses the Children; Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 14 Rev. Dr. Rhonda Blevins
Jesus Blesses the Children
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 14
Rev. Dr. Rhonda Blevins
May 11, 2025
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing children to him in order that he might touch them, and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
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Today we continue our “Windows of Faith” series . . . a series based on the life of Jesus as told in the stained-glass windows of our newly restored sanctuary.
Today’s focus is the story told in one of our brand-new windows (five of the windows have been restored and three are newly minted). The second window from the front on your left is “Jesus Blesses the Children.” It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
This window, as well as the one we’ll focus on next week, “Jesus Teaches from the Boat,” depicts a scene from Jesus’ ministry . . . what Jesus said and what Jesus did. I am so glad that we have windows now that focus on this facet of Jesus’ life. I once heard a religion professor, Dr. Bill Blevins (no relation), talk about how Christians too often focus on Jesus’ birth and Jesus’ death and resurrection, and unfortunately neglect Jesus’ life . . . what Jesus said and what Jesus did during his three years of public ministry. So for these next two weeks as we look at the two middle windows on the west-facing wall, we get to think deeply about things that mattered to Jesus during his earthly ministry . . . and I want to suggest, if something mattered to Jesus, that maybe, as his followers, that same something should matter to us as well.
Jesus said and did many things . . . why choose this scene for one of our new stained-glass windows? I’m glad you asked!
This window hearkens back to the founding of Chapel by the Sea. Over 75 years ago, when Mrs. Norah Atkins, described as “a little Canadian lady,” stood up at meeting of the Clearwater Beach Association, she proposed a church on Clearwater Beach, “to serve the children of the Island.” You see, back in 1949, Clearwater Beach was a different place, a more residential community, with many young families and oodles of kids running around. Mrs. Atkins saw the opportunity here to form a church, so that those children (as well as their parents) could be grounded in the stories of faith and in the Christian tradition.
I also want you to notice the racial composition of the children depicted in the stained-glass window. The diversity was by design, so that all of God’s children—no matter their race or skin tone—all God’s children are welcome at the feet of Jesus, and all God’s children, no matter their race or skin tone, must know they are welcome at Chapel by the Sea! With the population within zip code 33767 (our zip code) being about 90% white, it makes sense that our congregation is predominantly white—churches tend to reflect the communities in which they stand. But we are aware that our church is far “whiter” than heaven will be. The children in our window depict God’s ideal, all races gathered in harmony at the feet of Jesus. Oh Lord, let it be!
The last thing I want you to notice in the window is what Jesus is doing with his left hand. His left hand is on the head of the little girl who is handing him flowers. He is blessing this small child. In the Gospel of Mark, we read about Jesus rebuking his disciples when they tried to stop people from bringing their children to him for a blessing. What did he say to them? “Let the little children come to me.” Then Mark 10:16 says this: “And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” Perhaps this verse is what the stained-glass artisan had in mind when he envisioned this scene. Jesus blessed the children.
Now, when we look at this beautiful new window showing Jesus with all these children, it might seem like a sweet, natural scene to us. But in Jesus’ time? This was revolutionary stuff.
Let’s put ourselves in that moment. In the ancient world, children weren’t exactly valued members of society. They weren’t seen as having much to contribute. Think about it—in a society that valued power, strength, and status, children represented the opposite. They were vulnerable, dependent, and had no social standing whatsoever. Children were basically at the bottom of the social ladder. They were expected to be quiet, out of sight, and certainly not taking up the time of important religious teachers. They were loved by their families, sure, but in public life? Not so much.
So when these parents started bringing their kids to Jesus, the disciples’ reaction wasn’t really that surprising. They weren’t being particularly mean-spirited. They were just doing what any good assistant would do—protecting their teacher's valuable time from what they saw as interruptions.
I can almost hear them: “Come on, folks, Jesus has important people to talk to. Important teachings to share. He doesn’t have time for your kids right now. Maybe come back later?”
They were just following the cultural script of their day. Children should be seen (barely) and not heard. They should wait their turn—which basically meant waiting until they grew up.
That’s what makes Jesus’ response so surprising. When the scriptures tell us that Jesus was “indignant” with his disciples, that’s not mild annoyance. That’s Jesus genuinely upset. Because his disciples had completely missed the point about what his kingdom was about.
Jesus didn’t just tolerate the children. No, he stopped everything, made a scene about it, and then placed children at the center of his teaching about the kingdom of God.
What Jesus did in these stories was radical. And that’s what is captured in our beautiful new window—a moment when Jesus turned the social order upside down and showed us what God’s welcome really looks like.
Now in the reading from Matthew, we understand even more fully the value Jesus placed on children. “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” the disciples asked Jesus. Jesus took a small child and put the child front and center, almost like an object lesson, and Jesus says to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” That’s not just saying kids are welcome too. That’s saying all of us adults need to become more like children in some fundamental way.
And in the passage from Mark, Jesus offers another object lesson with children, to help him communicate what he’s trying to get his disciples to understand. Mark tells us, “And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”
These are embodied actions. Jesus isn’t just making theological points here. He’s physically demonstrating what welcome looks like. He’s touching the untouchables of his society. He’s blessing those deemed unworthy of blessing. He’s centering those who were supposed to remain on the margins.
This is what radical welcome looks like. Not just saying, “Oh yeah, everyone’s welcome here” but actually rearranging the furniture, changing the agenda, adjusting our expectations to make room for those who society says don’t belong.
So when we look at this beautiful new window, we’re not just seeing a sweet scene of Jesus being nice to kids. We’re seeing Jesus fundamentally challenging the social and religious order of his day. We’re seeing him establish a new set of values for his kingdom. And we’re seeing him challenge us to do the same in our time and place.
And speaking of challenge, and a little closer to home, it’s no surprise to anyone here today that it is a challenge for us at Chapel by the Sea to have a vibrant, robust children’s ministry like we did back in the 1950’s, during the heyday of the church in America. There are several factors that contribute to this:
· It’s a rare church that has a booming kid’s program these days because the religious landscape is dramatically different in 2025 than it was in 1950, with the rise of the “nones” (those who claim no religion) as well as religious pluralism.
· Churches that do have a thriving kids program tend to be large churches with large budgets that can support a full-time children’s minister.
· Only 6% of households in our zip code have children (across the bridge it’s 27%).
· If you draw a radius around Chapel by the Sea, you’ll see that half of the population is dolphins and other saltwater dwellers. Not too many children a half a mile to our west!
Does that mean that we’re off the hook? That we have no mandate to minister to children and their families? Absolutely not! It just means that we must be more creative. It means we must find ways to take the church to the children . . . that instead of expecting the children to come to us, we must creatively find ways to take the church to them. This is what it means to be a missional church.
One example of how we do this is with the monthly reading program we sponsor with Head Start kids. Those who participate in this reading program beam with joy when talking about how much fun it is to read to the kids there. Tell me if I’m wrong here . . . that the benefit is not one way . . . it’s not just us giving to the kids . . . the kids share their joy and curiosity and energy with the readers! This is a beautiful example of how we minister to and with children. It doesn’t have to be in the four walls of the church to be a vibrant, life-giving ministry.
Another creative approach to ministry with children happened when a generous couple donated thousands of dollars worth of Amazon and Target gift cards to us, asking us to find a way to get the gift cards to foster children and their foster parents at Christmas time. We were planning our normal Advent family gathering with a handful of families . . . and suddenly this gift gave us a way to level up. When we opened up the event to foster families with the promise of these gift cards, suddenly we were joyfully barraged with participants, so much so that I had to come before you one Sunday with my eyes looking like a deer caught in the headlights, saying, “Help!” Our “Lunch with Santa” event now is not only a fun event for kids, but a truly meaningful and important event for the foster families as they seek to provide a wonderful Christmas for the children in their care.
I provide these two examples to illustrate that we don’t have to look like we did in the 1950’s, with 50 kids coming to Sunday school, to have a vibrant ministry with children. We simply have to think creatively, and shift our thinking from “How do we get children in church?” to “How do we take church to the children?”
Which leads me to the ask this question of each of us: “Jesus blessed the children; how might we?
That’s the question I want us to sit with today. Not just as something warm and fuzzy to think about, but as a real challenge that requires action from us. Because it’s one thing to nod along and say, “Yes, children are important!” It’s another thing entirely to actually live out this value.
So let me suggest some ways we as individuals can follow Jesus’ example in blessing the children in our community.
1. First, we need to advocate for children’s needs in our wider community. Jesus didn’t just bless the children who came to him; he made a public statement about their value in God’s kingdom. In the same way, our blessing of children shouldn’t stop at our church doors. We need to be voices for children in our schools, our neighborhoods, and our political systems. Where are children’s needs being overlooked? Where are they vulnerable? Where do they need champions? Whether it's supporting local schools, advocating for safe play spaces, addressing child poverty, or speaking up for better policies that support families—this is part of how we bless children too.
2. Second, we can offer our skills and time—reading to the Head Start children or in the public schools, becoming a Guardian ad Litem for children in the court system, volunteering with CASA or Big Brothers Big Sisters, mentoring a foster kid . . . there are so many organizations doing great things out there. We can “bless” a child by getting involved!
3. Third, we can create moments of blessing in our interactions with the children already in our lives—a kid or grandkid or great-grandkid, a niece or nephew or neighbor. It’s as simple as offering a word of encouragement, recognizing their gifts, or celebrating their achievements, no matter how small. These moments tell children they are seen and valued, just as Jesus saw and valued the children who came to him.
Jesus didn’t just offer children nice words. He took action. He physically brought them close, and blessed them. He rearranged his priorities to make space for them. He confronted systems and attitudes that pushed them to the margins.
If we want to truly honor the legacy of our church’s founding and the message of our beautiful new window, we need to do the same. We need to move beyond sentimentality about children to actually embody Jesus’ radical welcome and blessing in tangible ways—as a church and as individuals.
So as you leave today, I want you to ask yourself: How am I personally blessing the children God has placed in my life? And how are we as a church community continuing the legacy of Jesus blessing the children? Because ultimately, that’s what this window should remind us of every time we see it: Jesus blessed the children, and so should we.