Mark 10
Psalm 114
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
Growing up I can’t tell you how many times I heard this statement: ‘Children should be seen and not heard.’ It seems nothing is new under the sun. Jesus’ disciples view the children who are coming to Him as an inconvenience and waste of time, so much so that they rebuke them. What a sad reality that children are sidelined in society.
Jesus will have nothing of it, verse 14: ‘When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.’ He was angry, fuming that children were being sidelined. Jesus recognised what we fail to see, that children are created in the image of God. They are valuable and special. They are not less important than adults. In fact, Jesus sees more than this in children, He sees what they have that adults don’t, or what adults have lost through growing up. They have child-like faith. Have you noticed how children rarely question the existence of God, how they believe when they’re told stories of Jesus’ miraculous works and are taught how God created the world. They are uninhibited by adult scepticism and the pervading culture of the day. Children accept God at face value, they trust Him as God, as greater than themselves, and acknowledge their need for Him.
It’s this type of faith that we are all called to, children and adults alike. To take God at His Word, to humble ourselves before His greatness, and to acknowledge our need for Him in both salvation and all of life. It’s amazing how easily we adults depart from this simple formula for life. The irony here is that to be truly adult as God intended, is to become more child-like.
Prayer: Father, help us by Your Spirit to be like children in trusting You. Help us to hold onto You and rely on You with child-like faith. For Your glory. Amen