And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Comment: It seems as I read this portion of Mark’s gospel that this event and the cause of Jesus’ comments, here recorded, followed naturally from what Jesus had said only a short while before. He had said, ‘Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.’ Parents, grandparents, caring relatives or friends seeing that this great prophet and teacher cared for children sought to bring them to Jesus to be blessed. Now we all know that kids can be distracting! Jesus was saying such important things that His disciples didn’t want those following and listening to Jesus to be distracted. So they shoo-ed them away! But the Bible is insistent that the next generation must be thoroughly taught the basic truths of God’s word! In the past, in the West, most children were sent or taken to Sunday School and many brought to church. This is not so these days and we are reaping the results! The Law of Moses taught a much higher principle than sending children to Sunday School. Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 – ‘And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’ The heart here doesn’t mean ‘your blood pumping organ’ but the very ‘core’ of your life -thoughts, emotions and actions! Children were not to be driven away! They are ‘like arrows in their quiver’ for parents! Mouths are for speaking; hands are for working; feet are for walking; eyes are seeing; ‘painted on their door posts’ so that every one seeing them should know Whom they followed! Most (not all) people who become true followers of Jesus decide which way they will go in their lives before they are 25 years old. We need to bless our children by allowing Jesus to ‘put His hands’ on their lives!
Proverbs 22: 6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Many children have a period of questioning, but most come through it and live aright. There is a proviso written into this – that the parents should not a live a lie, but following the Deuteronomy command above. This proverb is a principle not an absolute, but it is an emphatic command for parents!
Prayer: As a Parent, Relative, Neighbour or Friend please let me be a true example of living for You to the children in my life!
As I read it! 