Why I Love the Indignation of Jesus

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I am very pleased to bring you this guest post from Debra Celovsky. She has served in pastoral ministry and missions with her husband, Sam, for many years in northern California. She writes to encourage families in establishing a lasting, joyful family legacy that honors God at debracelovsky.com.

When I was in my teens, a newly-minted driver, my sister and I stopped at Fosters Freeze one blazing hot afternoon for the largest possible chocolate swirl ice cream cones.

It was the middle of a typically sweltering summer in Redding, California. There we were, sailing down the road blissfully tackling our two chocolate towers of deliciousness. I did not see the first bright orange road-construction sign. Shortly after, I did see the tall and extremely angry road construction worker waving his arms and shouting. I remember stopping, rolling down the window while holding that giant cone, and gazing into his apoplectic face, thinking, “This may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. So far.”

Other dumb things followed through the years, of course, but I think of that experience when reading about Jesus and kids and distracted adults.

There is a scene recorded in Matthew 18 where Jesus is teaching one day in northern Galilee. His disciples, who seemed to be quite concerned about how folks are positioned in the kingdom of heaven, ask Him straight out: “Who is the greatest?” Jesus calls a youngster over, sets the child in the middle of the group, and says:

I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child. Whoever accepts a child in my Name accepts Me.

Although this would seem to be fairly clear, it was likely not the answer the disciples were anticipating. Those who serve the lowliest serve Christ Himself, a radical notion in any culture. But Jesus’ entire ministry pushed against the nature of man and his culture. And He was especially interested in the attention of the men He was training to eventually ignite the Gospel.

Jesus’ reputation grows and parents pay attention. A short time later, as He is teaching near the Jordan River, a crowd composed of a large number of parents gathers around. They have brought (the Greek word means offered) their children to Him to be blessed. Imagine their surprise at being scolded – rebuked – by the disciples. Not one of the twelve says, Whoa, let’s take a step back here. It isn’t as though they haven’t seen the Teacher’s interaction with kids before. Recently. 

Do they think: 

• Jesus is too busy?
• Children have no place near adult wisdom?
• There are too many kids and the situation might spiral out of control?

Jesus’ response to children is always attentive and tender. But there is no tenderness in His response to the disciples’ rebukes. He is seriously displeased: Let them come. Do NOT forbid them. The very qualities of a child – dependence, purity, trust – are the ones necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus takes the babes – Luke calls them “babes” in his Gospel – and holds them in His arms and blesses them. He corrects the disciples’ mistake and demonstrates the “spirit of the heavenly kingdom,” as one writer puts it.

The problem with the disciples’ response is not that they weren’t trying to do the right thing by their Master. The problem was they weren’t paying attention. Hearing without listening, looking without seeing, sailing past the Man at Work signs.

In this season of uncertainty, disruption, even chaos, the indignation of Jesus encourages us to resist the giant ice cream cones of distraction from the work He is doing, and the work He has called us to do in cooperation with Him. And to do that work as teachable and compassionate disciples.

With eyes on the Master we will display those beautiful qualities of a child in utter dependence on Him and authenticity in reflecting His love.

Are you distracted in this current crisis? Are you running a dependence or trust deficit in Jesus? Take some time to “rest on God” and realign. (II Chron. 14:11)

What a wonderful reminder to keep our eyes on Jesus, confidently going to Him with the dependent and trusting heart of a child. Please visit https://www.debracelovsky.com/ for encouragement in establishing a lasting, joyful family legacy that honors God.