For The Kids - Matthew 17:14-21

In one of the most overlooked sections of the Gospels, the Disciples repeatedly fumble the ball when given the chance to represent Jesus and lay the groundwork for the Church. Many of these episodes feature their misunderstanding of and contempt for children. They continually miss the point of Jesus' ministry and the desire of His heart. They aren't prepared and aren't willing to do the work to be prepared to minister to the least and smallest in the Kingdom. They actively work against Jesus' intention to reach and bless the least and the smallest. Jesus is none too pleased, and reserves some of His harshest critiques. He calls them "faithless" and "twisted", says they need to be "converted" and "humble themselves", and rebukes their misrepresentation of His heart. Across Matthew 17-19, Jesus makes it very clear: The Kingdom belongs to the least and the smallest. The heartbeat of God is for children. His command over us is that the Church share this passion and compassion for children. Our Churches are only as healthy as and obedience as our outreach towards the next generation.