Upon Our Children

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

UPON OUR CHILDREN

Matt 27:24-26

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" 25 All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

NIV

What a horrible time in the life of the Jewish people. What Pilate did when he washed his hands in water to show the people their own law of God in declaring that when an innocent man is found dead and there is no one to charge with the crime, a heifer is taken and his neck is broken near a stream and the priests are to wash their hands saying they did not do or see this crime and therefore are not guilty of it. The Jews would have known Pilate meant the same thing, although as a magistrate he could not escape the responsibility However, the worst offense was on the Jews, and for them to accept the blood of Jesus on their and their children’s hands was a most grievous confession. According to history as recorded by Josephus within forty years which would be the generation of the children when the temple was destroyed, millions of Jews died in the siege.  Thousands more died of famine and thousands more of disease and thousands by the sword. Josephus says their blood ran down the streets in such quality it extinguished things that were burning in the city. There were so many more that were crucified the Romans finally had to stop for want of both space and wood for crosses. This happened to the children of those who confessed that the blood of Jesus would be on their children’s hands. When we consider that Jesus taught so much about changing and becoming like a child or if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better to have a millstone on his neck and thrown into the sea. The innocence of children is precious to the Lord, and here the Jews threw their children under the bus, so to speak. And the Jewish people, the children of those who crucified the Lord, have been hunted and tormented for centuries to come. Even today as they were given back their land are hated by so many and wanted exterminated. Today, we have come full circle in some sense, at least those of us who love the Lord. We protect our children, hoping and praying they will find the forgiveness of sin and live to love the Lord as we do. However, the world is still suffering and have not washed their hands for the blood of Jesus is still on their hands. They not only carry this blood of Jesus upon them, but they have called it down on their children, in fact, many have killed their children by the millions even before they were born. They suffer from famine and the lack of truth. They suffer from disease and death, the penalty for their sin. How can we stand by and watch those innocent children be handed a death sentence? But what can we do? How can we stop it? It is up to the Spirit who is the only one who can convict people of their sin and need for repentance. Yet can we not share the word of God? Can we not live our faith out loud? Can we not be among the people rather than hide in our church? Somehow we can do something that changes the course of some people’s life, even one person’s, even our children’s.