The “Children Act 1989” considers the welfare of a child to be paramount. (Section 1:1)
In section 1:3, the Act states:
A person who—
(a) does not have parental responsibility for a particular child; but
(b) has care of the child,
May (subject to the provisions of this Act) do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare.
Jesus says: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.” (Matthew 19:14)
[Jesus] took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.” (Mark 9:36-37)
Jesus is shown to value people above strict following of the law:
In section 1:3, the Act states:
A person who—
(a) does not have parental responsibility for a particular child; but
(b) has care of the child,
May (subject to the provisions of this Act) do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare.
Jesus says: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.” (Matthew 19:14)
[Jesus] took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.” (Mark 9:36-37)
Jesus is shown to value people above strict following of the law:
- Matthew 5:38-48: Jesus says that instead of taking lawful revenge, we should have love for others.
- Matthew 12:1-8: He values the wellbeing of his disciples above what is “lawful on the Sabbath.”
- Matthew 12:9-14: He states how valuable a person is and “works” on the Sabbath, despite complaints from those in positions of religious responsibility.
- John 5:1-11: Another healing on the Sabbath, this time with Jesus condoning “working” by carrying a mat.
- John 8:1-11: Jesus values the life of a woman above strict commitment to the lawful punishing of those caught in adultery.
Jesus values people above the way his actions may look to others:
- Matthew 12:22-37: Jesus is accused of drawing power from Satan.
- Mark 2:1-12: Jesus is accused of equating himself with God. It could be argued here that Jesus deliberately gave his actions a particular image in order to make a point.
- Mark 6:45-51: Jesus walks on water, despite his disciples thinking him a ghost.
- Mark 7:24-30: Jesus heals a Gentile woman’s little girl, despite his priority being to the Jews.
- Luke 7:36-50: Jesus allows a sinful woman to bless him, rebuking those who disliked the image it gave him.
- Luke 19:1-10: Jesus spends time with a tax collector, despite the crowds’ disapproval.
It’s great when the Bible and the law can work together for the good of the people. But sometimes people make laws or policies which cause a bit of contradiction. Sometimes to ensure the “welfare” of a child is paramount, we may need to disregard a minor detail of a particular policy. I’m not just talking about extreme circumstances where a child’s life is in danger; this can happen with more minor instances.
When there is a clash within the law itself, it can be hard to know what to do. When the law and the teaching of the Bible clash, there will naturally be two camps: those who feel that the law/policy should be upheld at all costs; and those who feel the Biblical principles should be upheld at all costs.
Jesus says, “Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me.” (John 5:41) All that matters is that we are sure of our actions before God. The praise of mankind is not sufficient justification for taking a certain action. However, if we can get approval from people and from God, then all the better!
In relation to children, this means doing what is right for the child, with God’s authority, regardless of whether you have approval from people. By doing this, we will be able to ensure that the welfare of the child is paramount... which actually fulfils the law as well!
When there is a clash within the law itself, it can be hard to know what to do. When the law and the teaching of the Bible clash, there will naturally be two camps: those who feel that the law/policy should be upheld at all costs; and those who feel the Biblical principles should be upheld at all costs.
Jesus says, “Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me.” (John 5:41) All that matters is that we are sure of our actions before God. The praise of mankind is not sufficient justification for taking a certain action. However, if we can get approval from people and from God, then all the better!
In relation to children, this means doing what is right for the child, with God’s authority, regardless of whether you have approval from people. By doing this, we will be able to ensure that the welfare of the child is paramount... which actually fulfils the law as well!
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