If you were in the family, then you had a positon in the church.
It was ok for their children to play in the aisles of the the church and misbehave, because their children were special.
Your children better not get out of line, but don't you dare correct their children for doing wrong.
The pastor would come up with a sermon about how children are so precious in God's eyes and you had better not say anything to them to hurt their feelings or correct them. However the pastor, his wife and family would correct everyone else's children and parents, but encourage the misbehavior of their own family's children, while trying to use scriptures to justify the #favoritism -which is NOT of God. Everybody is important in God's eyes.
Their children playing in the the walk way during service or while you are trying to get to your seat, making it very uncomfortable to pay attention or even just walk past them.
When Jesus told the parable, he did not say when children are misbehaving to leave them alone. Why do they behave in school, respecting the teacher, but can't behave in church - dis-respecting God's house? In fact we are taught to provide proper discipline to ensure a good upbringing.
Holy Bible King James Version:
Proverbs 22 verse 6 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.'
Proverbs 23 verse 13 'Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.'
Proverbs 13 verse 24 'He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.'
Proverbs 19 verse 18 'Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.'
So we know that discipline is important and healthy. If we let children grow up with no discipline, getting whatever they wanted - then they grow up spoiled and with a bad attitude!
Now the parable Jesus taught said that children are not born to hate, have racism or hold grudges so they can play with other children, get mad and then forgive that child and still play with them a few minutes later, going right back to having fun.
Holy Bible King James Version:
Luke 18 verses 15 - 17 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in now wise enter therein".
That pastor and the unjust treatment taught and practiced in that church is NOT of God.
Treating certain members of the church better than others is called #Favoritism and is condemned in the Bible. If you have been hurt in one of these churches, you were hurt by people - not God.
I pray you are able to learn from this experience instead of hating - heal instead of hurt.
I pray you Turn back to God, Seek his help to heal, ask him in prayer to direct you to the church that he wants you to attend - one that God is in charge of.
And then help others to get free and heal.
~ Miss J
@SpeakToMissJ