Sermon: St. Mark 10:13-16

THE HOLY SPIRIT, BAPTISM, AND JESUS’ BLESSING

Dear people loved by God in Christ: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

In Isaiah 32, God’s prophet addresses the women of Israel with a warning, out of love. This shows how important women are to God, how essential in His kingdom and for God’s plan. Three times in Isaiah 32, verses 9, 10 and 11, God calls these women “complacent” and tells them to “tremble [and] be troubled,” for the judgment that’s coming because of people’s unrepentance. The Lord is frank about the destruction that He’ll allow to go on, but He does – in His grace and kindness – fix an end point: when (Isaiah says) “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high.”

The “complacent women” – who would weep and lament – are given comfort to look forward to: in the Holy Spirit being poured out on Pentecost, which is the culmination of their true hope and comfort: the saving work of the Messiah, Jesus. It’s the Holy Spirit’s work to bring the Savior to people by the gift of faith.

We now hear about some women who had taken to heart what Isaiah 32 preaches, had learned not to be complacent, and were trying desperately to reach Jesus:

St. Mark 10:13-16. 13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child [does] will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Lord, this is Your Word and these are Your words. Sanctify us by the truth. Your Word is truth. Lord, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, that being born again we may firmly believe the forgiveness of sins according to Your promise in baptism, and daily increase in love and good works, led by the Spirit to our eternal salvation. Amen.

This is not just a cuddly, harmless little story about Jesus and little children. Mark says they are “little children”; Luke actually uses a word that means they’re babies or infants. So they look pure and innocent. But they aren’t. There’s a reason that these mothers want to bring them to Jesus and think their children are not OK as they are.

Psalm 51 teaches that we’re sinful from the time we’re conceived, sinful from birth. Romans 7 teaches that “nothing good dwells in me” by nature. But God provided a way to be saved. Right after the fall into sin, God promised that One would be born of a woman who would crush the head of the serpent, crush the devil.

So the devil desperately wants to keep the children of these women – all children, all people – away from Jesus. Then we see what Jesus’ disciples did: they “rebuked those who brought” the little children. They blocked them from getting to Jesus. Who’s behind this? The devil! He wants to keep the children from reaching Jesus.

This is why Jesus was so angry. Mark is the only one of the gospels to say He “was greatly displeased.” He’s bursting with emotion, that emotion was anger, and it’s directed at His disciples, with whom He was usually so patient. Jesus is very angry, why? Because these children need Him so that He will save them, He’s the Savior.

The incredible thing is that the women know and believe this about Jesus. “They brought [their] little children to Jesus, that He might touch them.” Jesus then declares what this means. Earlier in His ministry – as we’ll hear next Sunday – He told Nicodemus, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God,” now He points at these little ones and says: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child [does] will by no means enterit.”

These two statements – which are about the way to “enter” God’s kingdom – show that receiving the kingdom of God like a little child equals being “born of water and the Spirit,” in Baptism. Baptism is the means for children to enter into His kingdom.

So while there isn’t a baptism in this story, this is all about Baptism. And while the Holy Spirit isn’t mentioned, how else did the women have their faith in Jesus, without the Holy Spirit? This is a perfect text for Pentecost, which is when Peter said: “Let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is to you and to your children” (Ac 2:38-39).

Even though Jesus doesn’t baptize these little children or say, “let the little children be baptized”– since He had not instituted Baptism yet – what He is doing is picturing for us what Baptism actually is. It puts a little one into Jesus’ arms.

So this really is a Baptism story – it’s why Mark 10:13-16 is the Scripture lesson read in the Baptism liturgy. This story is about the blessings that Baptism gives. That word – blessing – is the main thing that happens: Jesus “took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” His blessing isn’t just something nice. It’s the very thing the devil hates. The devil wants the curse of sin to remain upon us. Jesus’ blessing takes away the curse. His blessing is the Gospel. It’s His forgiveness, that He takes away sin. Where does this happen for babies? In Baptism!

And yet we’re surrounded by Christians who refuse to believe this about Baptism. Today being Pentecost, it’s ironic that many of the Christians who reject that Baptism is where the Holy Spirit gives babies saving faith, call themselves “Pentecostals.” Many churches don’t baptize babies, make them wait for an “age of accountability,” and people come to be baptized not to receive faith but to show they already believe.

This view of Baptism rejects that it is something God does for you and gives to you, and rather it becomes a work that you do, something you do for God. It teaches people that they are to hope that someday the child will make a decision to ask Jesus into their life and accept Christ as his/her Savior. Whereas the Bible’s teaching of Baptism is that the little one is receiving Jesus as Savior, right then and there, by the washing of water with the Word, and has entered the heavenly kingdom!

So we can be certain that this Bible story is teaching us that Jesus wants little children to be baptized. But we shouldn’t look at this pridefully, as if we’re better at obeying His Word. This isn’t Law. It’s Gospel! He is here to bless – to save.

Know what it means that “He blessed” you in baptism. When you were baptized, Jesus was there, blessing you with His love. He took you in His arms. He was taking away the curse of your sin. There is no condemnation for you, you are His child now, by faith – the faith the Holy Spirit gave you in your baptism. By this faith He brought you to Jesus, who took you in His arms and blessed you with His forgiveness.

The blessing is wonderful. But it isn’t a one-time blessing. It’s ongoing. He wants to keep blessing, to never stop giving you the blessing, to never stop Gospel-ing you.

We don’t get this part so well. We know it’s important to get the baby baptized so they’ll be saved. But is there the same sense of urgency for the ongoing part? You don’t always live as if you’re in His grasp, but in sinning you try to wriggle out of His arms. You think you can handle temptations. You hang around sin or join in, and don’t take it as a threat. This is “not receiving His kingdom as a little child does.”

Isn’t this what offends some about Baptism, they think it doesn’t make people better. We get complacent. Shouldn’t we live better than we do if we’re baptized?

The short answer is, Yes. But the fault isn’t in the Baptism. The fault is in not remembering our baptism, remembering we’re baptized children of God. The solution is not to obey better but to return to what Baptism gives you, as the catechism says: “Baptism effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation.”

It’s really true that in Baptism the Holy Spirit gives us the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation that our Savior won for us, and He gives the gift of faith to believe it. It’s a miracle that He could give you this as a baby, but it’s also a miracle that He gives it to you today. When you hear His Word and believe it, the Holy Spirit has brought you – in spite of the devil’s work – all the way to Jesus, who takes you up in His arms and blesses you. When you come to the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit is bringing you to Jesus, putting you in His arms as you eat and drink with faith.

This is the ongoing work of Jesus, who does it through His Holy Spirit. It’s only the Gospel, the blessing, God’s vow that in spite of your sins He loves you – see, He takes you up in His arms to prove it! – this gives you the heart, mind, strength, and will to do better with His help, to never be complacent or aimless but to live as His child, sure of your place in His kingdom but pressing forward to make it your own. This is living your baptism, living with a clean conscience, a cleansedconscience.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit, called sanctification. It began in Baptism. You don’t ever need to be rebaptized, no matter how far from God you might get or stray, but only to return to your baptism, to hear what great things the Holy Spirit has given you – which are still yours. Amen!