Blessed be the Little Children

Mark: According to

Part 51

Mark 10:13-16

Blessed be the Little Children

¹³ “Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.”

Jews customarily took their children as they neared one year of age to the local rabbi that the rabbi could bless the children.   On this occasion they brought their children to Jesus, but the disciples rebuked them and turned the mothers away, thinking that their request was a complete waste of time, an interruption in what was, to them, the more important task of preaching the gospel to all these erring adults.

¹⁴ “But Jesus saw it and was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.”

The old King James Version renders the word come “Suffer.” A word that we seldom use in this way, but does a wonderful job in describing how Jesus really felt about this situation. Jesus invited the little children to come to him for He greatly loved the children as having on several occasions used them as illustration in the lessons he was teaching because of their unaffected love and devotion. He was interested in them and fond of them. Upon more than one occasion he referred to the characteristics and interests of childhood to illustrate spiritual truth.

As Jesus had so often before when healing the sick He now imparted a blessing to the children. Jesus did not baptize them, but simple committed them to the love and care of the heavenly Father.

But this simple act of blessing the little children brought hope and a blessing upon the mothers of all these little children. For in so blessing the children, Jesus was in fact also blessing the mothers in that he was making the point on how vital a role in the development of their children that mothers have.

Jesus was acknowledging the fact that the work of a mother often goes unnoticed and is often unappreciated, but the eyes of all heaven are upon their faithful service in raising the young people and waiting to bestow upon both parent and child the blessing that are available for the asking.

And he took them up in His arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them Mark 10:16. This is the same things that Jesus does to every new born Christian when they come out of the water of baptism thus accepting the gift of salvation by accepting Christ as their Saviour and the repentance of their sins. Heaven sweeps them as it were into the very presence of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and imparts upon them a blessing that is available to all those that seek after Christ’s righteousness.