LITTLE CHILDREN AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Matt 19:13-15 Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And He laid his hands on them, and departed thence. (Also See Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17)

According to biblical historians, it was a custom for Jewish children to be brought to the temple in very early childhood to receive a rabbinical blessing. Whether these were children of some of His followers or of the dwellers in cities Jesus visited, is a matter of unmerited speculation. These youths seemed to be of all ages: Matthew says they were little children, Mark refers to them as young children, while Luke tells us that they were infants. It seems that they all lacked spiritual understanding and were all too young to come to Jesus on their own, therefore, it was through the faith of their parents or guardians that they were brought unto Him. Because of the spiritual powers of Jesus that gained praise and honor among the Jewish people by His scriptural knowledge and compassionate healings, it seems understandable that young children would be brought unto Him to have His blessings bestowed on them.

These children were brought to Jesus so He could put His hands on them, and pray. The imposition of hands on children by the patriarchal heads of families was a common custom during the Old Testament era. The power of an authority figure was desired by parents, and through their prayers, special blessings were imparted to their children. Like those patriarchs of old, Jesus was sought to intercede in the lives of these young children with blessings and prayers of supplication. This, His disciples thought, was an unwarranted interruption by these parents or guardians to impose on Jesus. Their children, in their young age, were certainly too young to seek Jesus' blessings on their own and were not knowledgeable about such matters. Because of these reasons, Jesus' disciples rebuked them. It seemed that they thought Jesus' time would be much wiser spent spiritually ministering to grown adults that were searching for eternal life.

Jesus was much displeased (Mark 10:14) with His disciples and rebuked them by telling them to suffer (that is, allow) little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me. By His actions Jesus demonstrated to those gathered around on that occasion, as well as all that read this scripture, the value that He and His Heavenly Father place on the simple, unbiased innocence of children that have not gained the age of reason and knowledge. Children are not born into the world with souls guilty of sin, as some religious sects teach. And until they gain knowledge of, and are able to distinguish between, good and evil, they are free from all sin and the guilt that accompanies it. In their innocence, they are already God's children, free from the wiles of Satan, and are assured eternal salvation in heaven. Jesus acknowledges this fact by saying this of young children: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

With this saying Jesus also tells us that the kingdom of heaven is now, and forever will be, made up of men and women that are like little children - that is, having the same spiritual purity as a sinless child. The difference is that little children have no sin in their lives. Likewise, true, obedient followers of Christ have their sins forgiven by the grace of God through His Son, Jesus our Savior. This is exactly what Jesus was teaching on another occasion when a little child came to Him. To the men and women in His midst on this occasion, and seeking eternal life in heaven, Jesus said to them: Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (See Matt. 18:2-7).

In a comparable passage to the lesson text, Luke adds this warning of Jesus to all seeking eternal salvation: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein (Luke 18:17). Jesus does not mean that we must once again become a child, but we must attain a childlike innocence through obedience to the will of God and scripturally seeking forgiveness of our sins. In order to demonstrate Jesus' love for little children He laid His hands on them, and departed thence. A similar compassion by Jesus for these little ones is noted in the comparable verse found in the Gospel according to Mark. Jesus took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16).