Matthew Chapter 19- Part 2
Jesus blesses little children- Read (Matthew 19:13-15) (Mark 10:13-16) (Luke 18:15-17)
Little children (infants/babes) were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. When Jesus saw it, he was displeased and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Mark and Luke add Jesus saying, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter it."
Jesus then took the little children up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
It was a custom of Jewish mothers to carry their little ones to eminent Rabbis for their blessing and thus they brought them to Jesus, who had been teaching them as one with authority telling them great truths of the Kingdom of Heaven and healing their sicknesses and demonic afflictions. The disciples rebuked the parents for the same. Perhaps, on the spur of the moment, they decided to have exclusive rights to approaching their Master. Right before this happened, Jesus spoke on how some live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and this might have suddenly changed the way they thought about their Master, elevating him to an unapproachable level, though he himself remained with a servant attitude. Another cause must be that the disciples considered bringing little children to Jesus as a trivial intrusion, when great things were happening.
Jesus was displeased with the attitude of the disciples and opened the way for the parents to bring their children to him and he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them, reminding all that, they had to be like little children in their receiving the kingdom of God, if they desired to enter it. Innocence, simple acceptance, clinging trust are qualities that define little children.
No comments:
Post a Comment