0207 ATTACK OF THE SOCCER MOMS

ATTACK OF THE SOCCER MOMS

Jesus was in the hills of Galilee, doing His regular routine of speaking and healing, healing and speaking, showing mercy and calling to repent, you know the deal. A group of men gathers, and the Master Teacher heads over to do some disciple-making with them. That’s when a gang of MOPS comes sweeping in. Now, if you’ve never seen one of these groups, I ought to warn you about them. 

MOPS stands for Mommas of Pre-Schoolers, and they’re pretty scary. Now, you’d think all those mommas and their little ones would be cute and nice and all that. But here’s what they’re really like: it’s a bunch of first-time mommas with their precocious first-borns. When they get together, they all start comparing notes. First, they talk about breast feeding and pooping schedules, including textures, color and smell. Then they get to competing with one another through their kids: when he said his first word, when she took her first step, how much he can read at the tender age of four—and in Hebrew, at that. They might as well line their little ones up and have a little toddler race, except that no one can admit that her self-image is so tied up in her little one that she’s just got to win in the prodigious child awards.

Anyway, here this group of rabid mothers comes toward Jesus, walking with their arms held out like giant Barbie dolls, shoving their precocious prodigies at Jesus like he’s the long-overdue babysitter. Descending on the Son of God with their little gifts from heaven, asking Him to bless their Wunderkind so  he can be the next great world leader. 

The disciples, of course, can see this one coming a mile away, and they know just what to do. I mean, after that Temple cleansing incident, they pretty much know Jesus is going to let these child-worshiping women have it. Tell ‘em to repent before they turn into soccer moms! So, they head them off at the pass, as it were, and break it to them gently, lovingly, the way Jesus Himself would do. They tell them their kids are real cute, yes, and right bright and all, but Jesus has got Himself booked until, well, until your kids have reached puberty or so. Once they have acne and don’t want to be seen in public with you any more, THEN Jesus can speak with them like they were real people people. Problem solved, right?

Jesus sees them doing Him this favor, and sure enough, He goes ballistic about priorities and children. Only it’s not the way His followers thought it would be. Jesus is livid, all right. But He’s steamed about the disciples, not the mommas! 

“Let the little ones come to Me,” He says, “for the kingdom belongs to such as these.”

Jesus didn’t get angry very often, but this is one of those notable times. One of them starts to explain that they were just trying to help Him, when He cuts them off like a soccer mom weaving through heavy traffic.

“Have I been with you all this time, and you still don’t get it? Children are the most important people in the kingdom. They aren’t half-an-adult just because they’re small! Children are moldable, innocent, humble and pure. Can you tell me any adult with those qualities? Anybody? I didn’t think so.

“And these mommas are doing the most important job in the world! There’s nothing harder or more important than what they’re dedicating the prime years of their adult lives to do: turn a blob of human DNA into a fully-functioning adult in the short span of a couple of decades, all without losing their own sanity. “It just might be that these children here are more valuable than any of these men here. Maybe more valuable than the twelve of you are yourselves! 

“Now leave them be, and never prevent them from coming to me again! Have you got that? Don’t screen their calls, don’t insist on an appointment, and don’t you ever think that I’ve got more important things to do than to bless these little ones!”

And with that, Jesus turns around and a smile comes to His face that never appeared when He was talking to crusty, skeptical grownups. He bends down and gets on their level, He picks up young ones, He receives babies from their mother’s arms, He places His hands on each one of them, and He blesses them. 

You have never heard such simple, powerful words of prayer. And it begins to become clear that the main work of Jesus is to speak a blessing into folks’ lives. And the younger they are, the more of that blessing they can receive.