Little hands slapped against my son’s leg with a persistent beat. He looked down into the blue eyes of his little boy. With a welcome smile, he lifted my grandson into his arms. The scene brought to my mind Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to me.” Jesus invited children to come to Him, much like the joyful picture of a father opening his arms to embrace a son.
Jesus and the disciples often found themselves surrounded by crowds. Those who came to hear Him speak and watch Him perform miracles included people who brought their children, even babies. The Bible tells us of a particular day when children flocked to Jesus. Moms and dads, possibly grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunts brought little ones. Carried in arms, pulled by the hand, they pushed forward to gather around the Master.
Perhaps out of care for Jesus or for less noble reasons, the disciples stepped in to stop the flow. The disciples scolded them for disturbing Jesus, but the disciples’ actions greatly displeased Him. In fact, Jesus’ reaction, in the original Greek wording, signified something akin to grief.
“Let the little children come to me,” He responded to their attempts to hinder the children from reaching Jesus.
Where in the Bible did Jesus Say, 'Let the Little Children Come to Me'?
Three passages in the gospels record Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to Me.” We find the first in Matthew 19:13. It comes after Christ’s teaching about the family and contrasts sharply with the Pharisees’ behavior. The Pharisees, a religious sect, did not like Jesus. Jealous and critical of the Messiah, they tried to trip up Jesus—asking his views on divorce, to which Jesus gave an answer they didn’t expect. Pompous, pious, and powerful, they differed in many ways from the little children brought to the Messiah (Matthew 19:13-15).
The context of the same story in another passage, Mark 10:13-15, also pictures multitudes gathered to hear Him teach, with Pharisees on the sidelines looking for a way to test Him. When the children were brought to Him, we see an emphasis on how deeply it affected Jesus. “He was indignant,” the passage says (Mark 10:14).
We find the third mention of “Let the little children come to Me” in Luke 18:15-17. In the Luke passage, another detail stands as unique. Instead of using the broad term “children,” as in Matthew and Mark, Luke applied a word for infants or babies. In context, it varies slightly from the others in that it is inserted between a parable and the story of the rich young ruler. The story juxtaposed in three passages (with Pharisees, tax collectors, and a rich young ruler) illustrate dramatic distinctions of status, rank, and prominence.
Why Did People Bring Children to Jesus?
The accounts of Jesus saying, “Let the little children come to me,” support one another with unique details. All three passages imply parents took their children for a “touch” from Jesus. The Old Testament has many stories of fathers bestowing blessings on their sons, a long-held tradition in the Jewish community. Parents in Jesus’ day often sought a rabbi’s blessing for their children.
In the synagogue blessing, earthly fathers laid their hands on the children’s heads as the rabbi prayed over them. When Jesus welcomed the little ones to Him, He laid hands on them for prayer and blessing. This is a beautiful part of the story as Jesus’ embrace illustrates His teaching at the end of the passage concerning the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:16 tells us He “took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” (NKJV) Undoubtedly parents desired His blessing on their offspring. Matthew adds they wanted Him to pray over the children” (Matthew 19:13; NKJV). Luke’s use of “infant” shows He received all children, even the very youngest.
Why Wouldn’t the Disciples Let the Children Come to Jesus?
It may have seemed disrespectful to the disciples to have Jesus bombarded with wiggly, noisy, and dirty little children. Perhaps they felt in the social stratum, these children had no clout to see the Master. Or perhaps the disciples wanted to protect a teacher who had worked hard and felt tired. Whatever the reason, the disciples tried to play interference with the flood of little ones from coming to Jesus.
Jesus’ words dispelled all objections. “Let the little children come to me” must have sounded like a rebuke to the disciples. After all, who were they to decide who had access to the savior? But, to the crowd, those words sounded heaven-sent.
The disciple’s reaction may have been fueled by fear of defilement. Within the religious community, the disciples perhaps thought that Jesus touching the children could have caused Him to be ceremoniously unclean. However, Jesus always went among the people, old or young, sick or healthy, and did not hold back from anyone.
Tenderness surrounds Jesus’ invitation, which reminds us how human He was. He came as a tiny baby. His life passed all of childhood’s phases. Incarnate God, wrapped in the flesh of humanity, welcomed everyone and related to each one.
Did Jesus Say the Kingdom of Heaven Belongs to Children?
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 19:14 ESV)
We also find the concept of childlike faith in other passages of Scripture. In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus confronted his disciples about their demands as to who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He illustrated the answer by calling a child into their midst. Jesus told those listening, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
What did Jesus mean by these words? A look at the word “turn” in the original Greek shows the word denotes a change of direction, a reversing of course. The word means to “convert.” Conversion gives reign to a new King. It lays down my sovereignty for Another Sovereign. When we give our lives to Jesus for salvation, we step into another kingdom with One Lord as King.
Jesus went on to say, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4 ESV). He challenged their thinking by upending their perception of greatness. With a little child in their circle, he contrasted their idea of importance with the seeming insignificance of a child.
Jesus emphasized that the kingdom of heaven belonged to “such” or “like” those characteristics possessed by children. Jesus’ teaching revealed the necessity of humility for salvation. Socially, children had no power, no earned status, and no consequence. Overall, people considered them irrelevant. Yet, when Jesus presented a kingdom not of this world, a kingdom that people were waiting for, he elevated a child.
Jesus invited those with nothing to offer toward their salvation to find it in Him. He invites us to have the spiritual posture of a child.
Paul the Apostle tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are not saved by our own doing. Salvation comes from the grace of Jesus through faith. It is not bought or earned but gifted by God Himself.
Jesus opened His arms to the little ones, received them into His embrace, and blessed them. An astounding message accompanies His words as He takes the children into His arms.
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:15 ESV)
The word “receive,” dechomai, means to take with the hand, to take up, grant access to, or receive into one’s family. Jesus’ displeasure at his disciples for hindering the little children from coming represented a denial of the access His coming provided. Jesus’ taking up the children in His arms displayed His unequivocal love for everyone who comes to Him.
John 3:16 tells us God loved us so much that He gave His only Son. This Son, Jesus, gave His life to break every boundary, every obstacle of sin which obstructs us from having a relationship with Him.
As He received children, His familial acceptance exhibited the salvation experience of stepping into His kingdom.
The book of 1 John calls us to see the immense love the Father gives us so we can be called children of God, “And so we are,” John says. What a comfort and sweet position we have as children of the Heavenly Father (1 John 3:1).
“Let the little children come to me” holds layers of blessing for us all. Like little children, we bring nothing to the table to merit our salvation. Yet, Jesus, with open arms, beckons us to come.
His words and actions remind us of the heart attitude Jesus looks for in His children. It instructs us not to hinder anyone from Him through our pride, selfish actions, or attitudes. Passages that invite us “let the little children come” clash with how the world views importance. It gives us a pattern of core values and helps us view significance the way that Jesus does.
Christ’s displeasure with the disciples makes us aware of how much He cares for us. The moms and dads who sought a blessing for their children remind us of what our children need most. Jesus cares about the soul. He wants us to be with Him in eternity and to leave a spiritual imprint on others.
And, the children themselves cause us to pause and consider our own hearts. Where is our safe place of refuge? Who do we run to? Are we a part of the kingdom of God?
Like my grandson lifted high into my son’s arms, Jesus’ arms are wide to embrace His own. “Let the little children come to me” invites us daily to return to the welcoming safety we find exclusively in Him.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/KatBuslaeva
Her love for pasta and all things Italian stems from years of ministry abroad. She’d love to tell you about it over a steaming cup of cappuccino. Connect with Sylvia on her blog, When the House is Quiet, her Facebook page, or Twitter.
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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