5 minute read
by Marvin Bublitz
Lately, I have been pondering parenting. It’s not an easy thing to raise children. You work and sweat to provide for them. You sacrifice your time and goals for their sake. You do your best and hope it was enough.
Yet sometimes despite all your efforts, they go astray. I have often told parents, they are always your kids, but they are not always kids. Parents do their best. But sometimes…
Still, it is important that parents do their best. Shame on us if we do less. Shame on us if we fail to teach and train the Lord’s ways to the child baptized at the Lord’s Font. Shame on us if we spend more time teaching the things of this world rather than the things of God. Sadly though, that is what often happens.
Much effort and many hours are spent on teaching hockey, basketball, and any number of other things. It’s not that those things are wrong; parents should spend time in all manner of things with their children. But there is one thing more needful: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). As Christian parents, we must follow the Word of God and train a child in His ways.
In my travels, I see a number of billboards. One said something like: “It is easier to raise a child properly than to correct an adult.” When I first saw it, I laughed, thinking of the many adults I know that need correction—myself included.
Sometimes the problem is parents are not trained in how to teach the faith to their children. As pastors and congregations we need to spend more time and effort in training parents to teach their children. Martin Luther begins the Small Catechism with these words: “As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household.”
Often, however, families settle for handing the child over to the Sunday School teacher to learn Bible stories and to the pastor for confirmation. I fear we have failed in our responsibility to equip parents. I pray that pastors and congregations work to help parents in their God-given responsibilities.
Unfortunately, it is too easy to take the other road. A congregation can spend more effort and budget on the things of this world for their children than on the things of God. As I visit congregations, I have seen an abomination: they take the children out of the Divine Service. They remove the children from the presence of God among His people. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
I can understand holding separate classes for children, confirmands, ladies’ groups, men’s groups, and such. But in the Divine Service, the whole people of God in a congregation should come together. The Body of Christ consists of all. To remove the children is wrong. Some say children get nothing out of the service. Hogwash. That is “St. Peter syndrome.” Remember when Jesus told His disciples what was to come?
“From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You.’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man’” (Matthew 16:21-23).
Jesus said how things would be, but Peter thought he knew better. Imagine the arrogance of telling the Son of God that He is wrong and you have a better idea. And yet Jesus tells us: “Let the little children come to Me”… but we know better.
Sadly, such behavior is all too common among us sinners. We are told in Holy Scripture that the Lord works through His Word and Sacrament to create, strengthen, and sustain faith. In our Confessions, we are reminded:
“So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given (John 20:22). He works faith, when and where it pleases God (John 3:8), in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake” (AC 5:1-3).
Yet I cannot tell you how many times I hear someone say, “Oh that Word and Sacraments stuff again. Now, if you really want to grow the church, we should…”
Dearest Jesus, forgive us our sins and our self-importance. Return us in repentance that we may heed Your word and follow Your ways. Heavenly Father, train us, Your children, in Your ways, that we not fall from them. Holy Spirit, strengthen us in the holy faith unto life everlasting. Amen.
