Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

Today, I want to start at the end—with the image of children being brought to Jesus in the Gospel. The disciples tried to push them away, likely annoyed by their disruptions, but Jesus wasn’t having it. He welcomed the children because they see the world differently—through eyes of wonder and curiosity. Jesus uses this to teach us something deeper about faith: to receive the kingdom of God, we must have the faith of a child. As adults, we often get weighed down by regrets and broken dreams, but Jesus is calling us to look forward, to the hope and promise of restoration, not backward at our failures. The love and forgiveness of Christ make all things new, and that’s the powerful message of the cross. Just as children hold onto promises, we can trust that Jesus is holding onto us with promises that never fail.