Children: God’s Gift And Kingdom Example
Children… they are the most vulnerable people among us. They have very few rights and they are highly dependent on others for their care and sustenance. You can tell a lot about a society by observing how they treat their children. In Mark 9:36–37, 42; and 10:13–16, Jesus pointed to little children as object lessons, to help His disciples understand important principles about God’s kingdom. (1) Entering God’s kingdom requires trust and faith in Jesus. (2) Anyone who would cause a person to fall away from believing is subject to dire consequences from God. And (3)no one is to stand in the way of anyone trusting and believing in Christ to receive salvation. I pray that God would bless us to help those whom society has made most vulnerable, to see and trust in the salvation that God offers all, through faith in Christ. Amen
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:36–37)
Jesus was teaching His disciples. He placed a little child among them and spoke to them of the love and care that God has for children. They were viewed and treated as the least in that society. To welcome a child in Jesus name was to serve or show kindness to the “least of these”. And Jesus said that anyone who welcomes and serves the least, also welcomes and serves Him…. and more importantly the Father.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. (Mark 9:42)
Jesus further spoke to His disciples about the care that anyone must have with regard to anyone who believed in Him. He warned that no one should deliberately cause them to “stumble” (turn away from or lose belief). Jesus indicated that there were severe consequences for deliberately causing those that are followers of His to stumble.
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)
Jesus rebuked his disciples for their attempt to keep the little children from being brought to Him. These were being brought to Him for blessing. Jesus went on to tell His disciples that these children coming to Him was equivalent to the childlike trust required of anyone who comes to Him, to receive and enter into the kingdom of God. Unless a person has this kind of trust and faith in Jesus, they will not receive God’s blessing of eternal life.
Conclusion
The world prizes cunning and dominance. But Jesus showed His disciples that God’s kingdom operates under a different value system. In order to receive God’s grace and be saved, you must come to faith in Christ. You must trust that His sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to atone for your sins. You must trust that God loves you and wants to bless you with the gift of eternal life. You must trust God with the same trust that a little child has for those who are in place to guide and nurture them. And as believers we must not do anything to damage or hinder the faith of new or vulnerable Christians. Instead we must welcome them and love them as Jesus welcomed and loved the little children who came to Him. Children…. Jesus showed that they can teach us a lot about God’s kingdom!
