Are we allowed to be indignant? Or is that not Christlike? Well, we read an instance where Jesus was very indignant.
It was the time when parents brought their young children to Jesus to touch them and bless them. The disciples thought that children were too insignificant to intrude in Jesus' time, so they rebuked the parents.
But what did Jesus do? When he saw it, he was "much displeased?" This is a strong word in the Greek. It means "to be grieved, greatly afflicted, indignant." Most Bibles translate it with the word "indignant."
Why? Because Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to children. "Let the children come to me, he said, do not keep them back; the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 210:14 Knox).
We are allowed to be indignant against the rejection of children in our society. We can be indignant when people DON'T WANT children. We should be highly indignant at the millions of precious children aborted in the womb. And what about the millions beyond that who are aborted through many forms of contraception? Does it get to our hearts? Or are our consciences seared?
Conversely, to embrace children to our hearts and lives is to have the heart of Jesus. After rebuking his disciples, Jesus gathered the children, put His arms around them, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.
Jesus told us to receive children in the same way we receive Him (Matthew 18:5). The word "receive" is "dechomai" and means "to accept deliberately and readily, to welcome, to accept with open arms, minds, and hearts."
Let's be indignant about the way much of society looks at children. Let's be those who have the same heart that Jesus has.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell