This morning, we learned a new song: "Hallelujah, Jesus is my Lord", which reminded me of those songs of praise that black people often sing. I don't know why this song is associated with them in my mind, but it's good to offer God our songs with our heart and strength.

Last week, I had a very busy week. We had a bazaar and before that I visited a certain place in Northern Japan to give a sermon. The place that I visited was famous for its roses! There are so many roses there, everywhere! It was very kind of the pastor there to have sent us a rose the other day as a memory of the visit. You may find lots of roses growing around this church some day in the future!

By the way, back in today's scripture reading, we can observe parents and their children receiving God's blessing. The hands of Jesus were not likely soft ones, as He was a carpenter. They must have been rough. Yet, through those hands, a blessing from God came out to the people.

Without God, we humans tend to trust in the things that we see around us; the company, or societies, we belong to, or the people around us. However, being believers in God, our trust is in God. To this God, we need to draw close so that we can lead peaceful lives. In today's reading, parents brought their children to Jesus for blessings. In living in such a difficult world and complicated society, God's blessings and guidance are necessary for children. We can never say, "Our children are okay." There are always temptations and the attacks of Satan. Here, the parents were spiritually open enough to see that their children needed God's blessings also, which caused them to bring their children. But, the disciples rebuked. They may have thought that Jesus was too tired to be bothered by noisy children, but I suppose that the disciples themselves were too tired to have the children over. So Jesus became indignant. This word 'indignant' occurs only once, in this place, in the Bible.

REMAINDER OF SERMON IS LOST AT PRESENT

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
For another sermon see: Oita Evangelical Christ Church
For all sermon indicies see: cHaPeL nOaH sErMoN iNdEx