Wednesday 9 May 2007

Let the little children come to me

“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19v14

Jesus was obviously a busy man. Every place He went He had crowds following Him and religious leaders trying to trap Him. After a session of both of these happening A bunch of moms and dads brought some young children to Him to receive a blessing. The disciples tried to help Him by sending them away. After all, the Master was tired, and these were only children.

However, Jesus had a whole different attitude. “Let them bring the children to me,’ He said, “This is the kind of person who will inhabit the kingdom of heaven.” I don’t want to get into the theology of this incident, but instead to note a very important truth – Jesus always had time for children.

Sometimes we can think that children’s ministries are just an “add on” or a gap filler; something we just have to do because that is what we are expected to do. When a church begins to grow and develop we can think that the children’s work is juts a peripheral.

Jesus never took that attitude toward children. His attitude was more like a story I was heard when a person was asked if anyone was saved in a meeting. The reply was, “Yes, two and half people got saved.” “Oh, two adults and a child?” “No,” came the reply, “two children and an adult. The adult has already lived a good part of his life; the children have a whole life to live.”

God, give us a heart for children like Jesus has.

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