Mark 10:13-16

Jesus Loves the Little Children

14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

15 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

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This is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change the way that we think, and the way that we live.

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Commentary by Bob Pardue

Children Come to Christ

It seems that, no matter what position a person holds, people will criticize them. It was no different with Jesus; even His own disciples second-guessed what Christ was doing.

In the days of the New Testament, children were not very high in status - in fact, they were pretty much considered worthless until they were old enough to work the fields or take care of the livestock.

So, the disciples could not understand why Jesus would "waste His time" with these lowly human beings. We see the same criticism throughout Jesus' ministry in that He was always hanging out with the wrong crowd.

A Matter of Importance

Who should Jesus be spending time with? Let's name a few (in the eyes of followers and disciples) - Pharisees; Dignitaries and politicians; priests and other religious leaders. Certainly not tax collectors (Matthew was one), sinners or children!

They felt that Jesus could raise His status by talking with, and being seen with this "better class" of people. But, does Jesus really need to improve His position?

The Faith of Children

Trust - a word we sometimes leave out when it comes to following Christ. Why? Because we are too caught up in trying to understand the intellect of Jesus' teachings. Not so with children. They just need love and attention from someone they trust. That's all!

Jesus said we should come to Him as children; not to gain the knowledge of the universe but to follow Him with the wide-eyed trust that little children possess.

In closing, just the other day my brother said to me he would like to get back to the point of faith and trust he had when he was baptized at 12 years old. His words came back to me as I began writing this and they are true for most of us in our walk with God.

Let's not try to make trusting in Christ so complicated - remember, "Jesus loves the little children."

Love in Christ

- Bob

Mark 9:14-29 - Christ and the Demon Possessed Boy