Jesus and Children

Matthew 19:13-15 ¹³ Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, ¹⁴ but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And he laid his hands on them and went away.

I recently read this passage while writing a description for a church website’s parenting section. My first thoughts when I read this passage are always the pictures of a cheesy smiling white Jesus who is covered with children, similar to a statute that doubles as a pigeon hot spot. Growing up in church, it is a story that I heard in VBS as I was told to sing “Jesus Loves All the Little Children.” As an adult i have frequently glazed over the passage but after having read it again this week it proves to hold more than I gave it credit for. These are my observations:

Parent’s understood the importance of Jesus.

No matter if it is parents, grandparents, or just concerned community leaders, there were parental adults who recognized that Jesus was important.  For parents, children are our most guarded assets, and culturally the Hebrew people have recognized this since Mt. Sinai. If they were allowing their children to be exposed to Jesus, the parents recognized that the things he taught weren’t just different, they were life changing.

Parent’s understood need for their children to encounter Jesus.

The parents didn’t just want their children to hear or see Jesus, they desired him to touch and bless them. For parents who wanted the best for their children, they recognized that encountering Jesus had the power to shape children and that his blessing meant something. Jesus had the power to change the children’s lives.

Opposition arose. 

There were also people who opposed the idea of children being close to Jesus (and those people were actually the disciples). They recognized the importance of Jesus but not the importance of the children. Maybe they didn’t want to bother him, thought children weren’t important enough, or were trying to make sure the children didn’t disturb the teaching, but for whatever reason they attempted to stop the Children from encountering Jesus.

Jesus showed his accessibility.

Jesus didn’t allow the opposition to stop the children from accessing him. He made himself accessible to everyone he was teaching to regardless of their age and silenced the opposition. 

Jesus understood that the children would be the next generation of faith.

When Jesus silenced the opposition the reason he gives for allowing the children to come to him was because the kingdom of heaven belonged to them. Jesus understood that the children present would be the future faith generation, and I would wager to say that many of them were in the first generation of the Christian church.

The principles that this passage teaches are still important to parents and children today. Parents need to recognize the importance of Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross.  Parents still want the very best for their children, and if they recognize the importance of Jesus they will want their children to also. There is always going to be opposition to the growth of faith the children’s lives. Often the opposition comes in the form of culture, but also can be in the form of church leadership who don’t understand the importance of children as the future of the church. Jesus still makes himself accessible regardless of age and he can do incredible things in and through those who come to him.  Our children are the future of our faith and church. Their faith should not be overlooked but admired as an example.