I love kids! I love teaching them and watching their faces light up when they hear the lessons about people from the Bible. I love the challenge of figuring out how to reach a child who doesn’t understand. I love when a child starts to ask questions about Jesus which indicates God is working in their hearts. Children are a fresh slate without misconceptions or tainted views about God. They readily believe that God created the world in 6 days. They have no problem believing that they are sinners and that Jesus died for their sins. I get frustrated with people who think a child cannot understand enough to be saved at a young age of 5 and up. I have known many who gave their lives to Jesus as early as 4 and still to this day are serving Him faithfully on a mission field. It is not the age that determines if a child is ready to give their lives to Christ, it is the knowledge they have and most of all, the work of the Holy Spirit. That is why it is crucial that we teach and train our children from birth about God and who Jesus is. We are supplying knowledge that gives the Holy Spirit something to work with. It is God who does the saving, and He decides when He will begin working in their hearts. Nowhere in scripture do you see God setting an age limit for salvation. Will those who accept Jesus at a young age probably have a time when they come to a greater understanding and rededicate their lives? Probably so, but don’t we all have those times? If we are going to grow in Christ to be more like Him, we must have “ahh ha” moments of growth until the day we die. Jesus can and will use a child that wants Him as their Master. Children are important because they possess a soul that will spend eternity somewhere and they have their entire lives before them.
In scripture we see Jesus loving children. In Matthew 19:13-15, parents were bringing their children to Jesus. They wanted the touch and prayer of Jesus on their children. These were probably followers of Jesus that were devoted to Him and wanted this for their children. In Luke 18:15, Luke says they were infants brought by their parents. This child could be a newborn baby to a young child. This reminds me of baby dedications we have at our church. The infants are not gaining any kind of favor from God through the ceremony, but it is the parents that are promising to raise their children to follow Christ.
The disciples were annoyed by their bothering Jesus and rebuked the parents and the children. They felt it was improper to approach him, that His time was more valuable than to be spent with children. During this time children and women were not highly esteemed. Men always took centerstage and the children and women were to stay silent and stay in their “place.” Jesus speaks up and tells the disciples to let the children come to Him. In verse 14, He uses the word suffer which means to permit. In Mark 10:14, Mark says that Jesus was “much displeased” at the disciple’s attitude and actions.
When Jesus rebukes the disciples. In Matthew He uses the phrase “for such is the kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus wants them to understand that we must be humble as a child to gain Heaven. In Mark and Luke in this same occurrence, Jesus said, “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein.” Those who are full of pride, self-reliance, ambitious for self-gain, or disobedient, are not true followers of Jesus Christ or a member of His kingdom. Does this mean we are not going to Heaven if we mess up and have the wrong attitude? Absolutely not, but we are not to have a lifestyle that is characterized by these character traits. We are to be as humble and dependent on Jesus as a young child or baby is on their parents.
After rebuking His disciples Mark tells us that Jesus “took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” Jesus loves children and we should too. They are not to be looked down on as unimportant in the Kingdom of God but treated as precious jewels ready to be shaped and shined for the Master.
Matthew 19:13 -15 “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.”
How important are children to the Kingdom? They are souls that will spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell. The sooner we win them and train them the more they will be able to do for the Master. The child that accepts Jesus early in life and is trained and taught the Word of God, will have a great advantage because they will not have the consequences of sins that many others do.
If you want to see how important they are to Jesus read the passage below.
Matthew 18:1-6 “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
