Preaching When There’s A Miscarriage
Preaching When There’s A Miscarriage
It doesn’t happen often, but the occasion does come about that you’ll have to preach at the death of a child as a result of a miscarriage in the later stages of pregnancy. Preaching when there’s a miscarriage is a bit tricky. There are questions about the eternal state of the child who never lived outside the womb, and this creates questions in the hearts and minds of parents, but not only the parents. I remember the high school student who made an appointment with me. To my surprise, she asked what happens to babies who die, who never have the opportunity to accept Jesus as their Savior. With tears, she told me about how the thought that they weren’t in heaven was impacting her faith.
We are in a series of posts about the hardest sermons you’ll ever preach. The first in the series is here.
Most often, parents choose not to have a memorial service. But when they do, what do you say? Here are some tips from a message given by George Robertson that he titled, “Jesus’ Children”
Choosing The Right Scripture
The Scripture passage that George chose was Mark 10:13-16.
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Preach About The Parents’ Love Even For Miscarried Children
The picture of Jesus here is powerful. First, notice the faith of the parents. The word that the Bible writers used to describe these children. Both Matthew and Mark use a generic term for “child”. But Luke’s passage is specific. He uses the word for babies. In other words, these children were not able to come to Jesus on their own. They didn’t break away from their parents to run to Jesus. These parents were the ones with the love for their children, and it was the parents’ belief in the heart of Jesus for their children that made them bold enough to come and ask for a blessing. Preaching when there’s a miscarriage is a time to emphasize parental love.
Preach About Jesus’ Love Even For Miscarried Children
The other major thing to notice in this passage is Jesus’ anger at his disciples for trying to keep him from these children. He wasn’t just a little annoyed. He was indignant. And then there is that statement that should pique our interest: “…for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Even powerless children have a place in the Kingdom.
Think about how powerful this is for those who have lost a child! As I write I have a picture of a couple that experienced this. As the pregnancy approached the last trimester, they were told that the child had a rare problem that meant that the child would not survive but a few hours outside the womb. With a sense of grief and loss, friends and family gathered in the hospital when it came time for the birth. We prayed with the family, and when the child was born, we baptized her into the family of God as parents held her. And we proclaimed the love of God even for powerless children. It was a holy moment.
Conclusion
Preaching when there’s a miscarriage can be a wonderful opportunity to plumb the depth of Jesus ‘ love even for children that can’t choose for him. Don’t miss this time to proclaim God’s unfathomable grace and goodness in a time of great pain.
