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There’s a Special Blessing for Those Who Share the Heart of the Eternal for His Children

There’s a Special Blessing for Those Who Share the Heart of the Eternal for His Children

Last updated on: April 14, 2018 at 1:04 am by KP Yohannan

There’s a Special Blessing for Those Who Share the Heart of the Eternal for His Children 2018-04-14T01:04:16+00:00 KP Yohannan

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It is plain throughout the Bible that God doesn’t want us to ignore the poor, the defenseless, the hungry or the hurting.

Look at Acts 10, where we read the story of a Gentile named Cornelius, a devout man who feared God. Two additional things are written about him. He prayed continually and gave alms generously to the people. The inward heart of Cornelius, the devout, God-fearing part, was displayed outwardly in his generosity. God sent His great apostle Peter specifically to meet with this Gentile and share the Good News with him.

God is sad when He sees His people living selfishly, only concerned about “me and mine.” It especially hurts Him whenever Christians close their eyes to the pressing needs before them.

… Remember what Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, emphasis mine). This means that whatever we do for the least of these, whether good or bad, it is as though we have done it for Christ Himself. …

Jesus Cares

Over and over in Scripture, we recognize God’s heart for those who have no voice, for the captives and for the oppressed. There is a divine passion for them, a heavenly desire for their well-being, because God prizes them highly and His heart breaks to see them suffer.

The Scripture is crystal-clear about God’s heart for children. The best place to look is at Jesus, because He is the exact representation of the Father’s nature (see Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Himself says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Therefore, we can be sure the fullness of God’s heart for children was perfectly reflected in the life and words of His Son. So what can we learn from Him?

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus repeatedly speaking about how important children are to Him and to the Father. In Mark 10, we encounter Jesus surrounded by people, teaching them the truths of God. Some of the parents in the crowd started bringing their children to Him so He could bless them. The disciples rebuked these people and started practicing crowd control. They may have said something like, “The Master is teaching an important message. Please sit down and keep your children quiet.”

This passage states that when Jesus saw what was happening, He was displeased and told His disciples, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). He actually interrupted His teaching, put His hands on them and blessed them. In the midst of His busy ministry, Jesus stopped everything He was doing to show these children His love and interest.

With no direction, many impoverished boys and girls wander the streets to play, to rummage through garbage piles for food or to go door to door begging for money. Through GFA’s Bridge of Hope program, more than 82,000 children are attending school and eating a healthy meal each day.

In Mark 9:37, Jesus said, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me.” What does His statement mean to us?

Imagine that you have worked all day and are finally sitting down to dinner with your family. Suddenly, you hear a knock on the door. You aren’t expecting anyone, so you look through the peephole thinking you will maybe see a salesman or someone who wants to mow your lawn. Instead, you see the King of the universe.

You would break down your front door to welcome Him in!

But what if you see a starving child, half-naked, with more holes than cloth in the rags she is wearing? Her hair is unkempt and filled with lice; her face is covered with dirt and sweat. Would you break down your door to welcome her in?

Jesus tells us that anyone who embraces little children, who loves them and who gives them dignity and value in His name is actually doing these same things for Jesus Himself (see Matthew 18:5). But there’s more to it than that. Jesus is so happy with anyone who cares for children in His name, that He will come and be with them in a special way. He tells us further in Mark 9:37 that we receive not only the Son, but God the Father also. So there is a special blessing for those who share the heart of the Eternal for His children.

Do Not Despise Them

In Matthew 18:10 (NASB), Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” According to the dictionary, the meaning of the word “despise” is “to regard as unworthy of one’s interest or concern.”

Jesus is warning us that when we hear about needy children, we need to be careful not to see their plight as unworthy of our attention. We can’t simply say, “Yes, I know it’s awful. Those terrible people hurting children should be stopped, and the little ones should be loved and cared for. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Do you think Jesus cares about children who live on the streets? Do you believe He sees the boys and girls laboring long hours in the fields and firecracker factories? Does He identify with the pain of devastated young girls caught in the degrading life of prostitution?

He sees. He cares. He feels their pain.

Now He has given us the opportunity to see them too.

To find out more about how Gospel for Asia is helping these children in need, read about GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program.

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