“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)
Children of that day, although cherished, were thought to be negligible members of society. We don’t know exactly why the disciples were trying to prevent people from bringing children to Jesus. But perhaps they were thinking Jesus’ ministry was too important to be bothered by those in the lowest rungs of society.
But Jesus was indignant of their attitude!
Earlier Jesus had even made it clear to His disciples the value He placed on little children when He told them:
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” -Matthew 18:6
So even though Jesus had taught them clearly the values of His Kingdom, the disciples may still have been caught up in their culture’s view of the value of someone based on their position in society.
The challenge for us “adults” is this: Have we adopted the world’s view of the value of someone based on their status in society? Let’s not have Jesus be indignant to what is in our heart!
In Jesus’ Kingdom, all people are equally valued, and are embraced by Jesus if they have childlike humility towards Him. Jesus longed to embrace the little children for this reason, He loved and valued them!
Click here for more information on our Awana Kids’ Ministry Kick-off on Wednesday, Sept 11