Cherish the Children

Cherish the Children made a nice-sounding phrase for LFL’s 2007 Life Sunday theme. But this title contains more than pleasant alliteration and cuddling imagery. Let’s look at the "what," "who," and "why" of "Cherish the Children."

What does the word "cherish" mean? The word the King James Version of the Bible translates as "cherish" comes from a word meaning "to keep warm." Picture a mother wrapping a blanket around that teeth-chattering child after an afternoon of sledding! Picture a husband who puts his arm around his shivering wife at the ball game. "Cherish" means to care for the children in a very close, warm, and protecting way.

Who, then, are the children we are to cherish? In Jesus’ time, people did not view children as role models of innocence as we often view them today. Children presented a negative picture of being unwise, unable, unequipped, and completely dependent on the action of others to survive. A child represents anyone who is vulnerable and in need. In Matthew 18, when Jesus tells His disciples they must "change and become like little children" (NIV) in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (18:3), He means they need to acknowledge their absolute unworthiness and total dependence on God’s mercy. Become like children, then they will be the "greatest" (Matthew 18:4).

Who are the children? Jesus would have us cherish the most susceptible and helpless among us. We start by realizing how much we have been cherished by our Savior. God saw that because of our sinful nature we were unwise, unable, unequipped, and completely dependent upon Him for our salvation. So God wrapped us in the warm robe of His righteousness, a robe purchased when Jesus took the cold darkness of our sin upon Himself on the cross. His resurrection assures us that we have a living Savior who comes to us now through His Word and Sacraments.

This living Savior works in us to be His hands and feet to cherish other children. Lutherans For Life advocates for a particular group of children, those who are vulnerable and in need because of circumstances involving life.

• The world sees those not yet born as "products of conception" or a source of stem cells. We see children who need to be cherished, defended, and protected.

• Many see the pregnant teen as "promiscuous" or as an abortion client. We see a child who needs to be cherished and supported with advice and direction.

• Some see those who have had an abortion as wicked, having committed an unforgivable sin. We see children who need to be cherished and uplifted and given hope.

• There are those who see people with disabilities or those who are desperately ill as people lacking quality of life. We see children who need to be cherished and cared for.

We cherish such children. Of course, anyone can do the things listed above. But you are not just anyone! You can cherish the children in a way no one else on the planet can cherish them. You can cherish them with the love of Christ and bring His help and His strength and His forgiveness to bear. And you do so for the profoundly simple reason that you have been cherished by Him! And that leads us to our final point.

Why should we cherish the children? Jesus said, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 18:10 NIV). We cherish the children because they are precious to God. I’m going to repeat that because of its incredible importance. We do not cherish the children because they are precious—anyone can do that. We Cherish the Children Because They Are Precious to God!

That message epitomizes Lutherans For Life. We are not "For Life" because it is the politically advantageous thing to do or the economically and socially smart thing to do. We are not "For Life" because it is the right thing to do or the ethical thing to do or the moral thing to do. We are "For Life" because it is the "God thing" to do! We are "For Life" because God is. We are "For Life" because the children are precious to Him. We are "For Life" because we are precious to Him.

That makes being "For Life" more than just the message of LFL, another "nice thing" Christians can do if it is their thing. That makes being "For Life" the message of Scripture and, therefore, an essential, powerful, positive message that Christians are compelled to share. It is not a message tangent to the Gospel as a whole; it is a message that is part of the whole of the Gospel.

Jesus warns against thinking that cherishing the children is a neutral position, one you can take or leave. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me" (18:5 NIV). The warning comes from the flip side of this. To not cherish the children, to reject the children through our silence or inactivity, is to reject and not welcome and not cherish God. Jesus uses very strong language in Matthew 18:6-10 toward those who do not cherish and who cause the little ones to stumble. He pronounces woe and speaks of millstones about the neck and drowning in the sea. He speaks of severing various body parts and being cast into eternal fire. You don’t mess with Jesus’ children!

We need to heed this warning and at the same time remember that the warning is not the message. But this is—we have the greatest, most powerful and positive "For Life" message in the universe! It is a message tailor made for those who become like little children, for those who say, "I can’t do this on my own; I am helpless and hopeless." To exclude certain children from this message because their struggles also happen to be controversial or political insults the message and the One who gives and is the message—Jesus Christ. But to share this message and apply it to those dealing with the life issues exults Jesus Christ as the One who can make a difference and bring truth and help and hope. We share this message because it is God’s message!