Kids Say the Darndest Things

I was trying to get the Sunday School children to sing "Jesus Loves the Little children."  I was out of my element, a stand in for their regular teacher.  But everyone, everywhere, knows the words to this old favorite song.  But what the kids sang in the class wasn't the version that I knew as a kid.  They sand this version, loudly, climaxed with riotous laughter:

            Jesus loves the little children;

            All the children of the world!

            Red and yellow, pink and green,

            Strangest kids I've ever seen!

            Jesus loves the little children of the world!

I wasn't offended.  They thought it hilarious, but to me it was serendipity.  Whether they realized it or not, they sang about Christ's willingness to love the unlovely, to accept those who are, by most standards, unacceptable.  In an innocent, fun-loving way, those children had revealed a significant truth about God.  It doesn't matter how strange we are, Jesus loves us anyway.

Christ always delighted in children.  He would listen to them.  He certainly would have laughed with them.  Christ would place His hands upon their heads and pray a blessing upon them.  How refreshing it must have been for Christ to spend time with children.  He continually faced the deceit of those with ulterior motives.  At least children tell the truth to the best of their ability. 

If you have spent any time in children's Sunday School class, you have been entertained and enlightened by the forthrightness of your pupils.  According to the students, Noah's wife's name was Joan.  "Joan of Ark."  I'll bet you didn't know that. 

Did you know that the fifth commandment is "humor your father and mother?"  Have you heard that Lot's wife was "a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire at night?"  You can learn a lot by teaching Sunday School. 

Jesus was on His way to the cross when He stopped to spend some time with children.  His disciples protested the interruption.  He had more important things to do!  Listen again to what He said to them:

            Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven

            Belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14; New International Version)

Jesus still delights in spending time with children.  We need some children in our church. Children need to spend some time with Him.  Maybe we could bring some neighborhood kids to Sunday School, no matter how strange they are.