Unlimited: Jesus And The Little Children | Good News Unlimited
Unlimited: Jesus and the Little Children
May 25, 2024 1709
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.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.Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them (Mark 10:13–16, NIV).
In this passage, Mark reveals a lot about what Jesus was like, and about the nature of God.
Jesus was probably busy teaching, and the parents were bringing their little children to him.
Anyone who has been to church with little kids knows that it has its challenges! And that’s what the disciples were facing in this story.
The disciples rightly saw Jesus as a very special person, and even a holy person. But they didn’t understand his character or what he was about. And they’d forgotten what Jesus had said about welcoming little children.
They thought they were doing the right thing by keeping the noisy, annoying little kids away from Jesus so he could teach in peace. The disciples wanted to keep a respectful and reverent atmosphere.
When Jesus saw what the disciples were doing, he became upset, and he told them to let the little children come to him and not to stop them, and that people who didn’t welcome the kingdom of God like these children could never enter it.
And then he took the children onto his lap and blessed them. And perhaps – and it’s just my imagination – as he continued teaching, the children wriggled and giggled on his lap and pulled on his beard.
It’s good to know that our God is one who just loves being with children. In fact, he calls us all his children.
– Eliezer Gonzalez
Eli’s Reflection: Just think about this for a moment. Consider how children naturally behave and how loving parents respond. What does this mean for how God relates to you and me? This was what Jesus was trying to teach us.
