Mark 10:13–16

The Jews had an old custom. They would bring children to a respected teacher, a godly man, so that he could pronounce a blessing on them. He laid his hands on the little one's head as a picture of the blessing being fulfilled. So these little ones were not brought to Him for healing of any bodily disease. They were brought to Him for a blessing. Whose children they were is not stated. They must have been children of believers. By bringing these little ones to Him, they showed their faith that He would be willing to bless them and give them His attention.

In the next incident we see that even the disciples were strangers to the mind of the Lord as to little children. It seems they thought the Lord was too great to notice these little ones, and the children too unimportant to catch His attention. People brought their young children to the Lord for a blessing, and the disciples rebuked them. In doing so they completely misrepresented their Master. They failed to see what is beautiful in a child. And they denied the principles of the Kingdom that they claimed to preach.

His followers had not drunk deeply of the grace that filled Him. If they had, they would instead have prized the feeling that brought the infants to their Master. The truth is that the spirit of self was yet strong; and what is so petty and narrow? Poor, proud Judaism had coloured and spoilt their feelings, and they despised the little ones. But God, who is mighty, despises no one.

When the disciples rebuked these mothers, Mark also tells us that the Lord was "much displeased." Again the Spirit uses a very strong word. It means "grieved, indignant, and angry"... Six times in the New Testament we read of others being much displeased, or grieved, or indignant, or angry: the disciples themselves more than once, the Pharisees, the ruler of the synagogue. But only once do we find this word used of our Lord. It was towards His own disciples, when they tried to stop the mothers bringing their little ones to Him.

The deep displeasure of the Lord was part of His perfectness. The disciples betrayed their own Rabbi-like self-importance, which makes much of ceremony and much of knowledge, and overlooks the power of grace and the display of Divine affections. But there was more. They took His place. They misrepresented Him, and the God of all grace who sent Him, and the essential character of that kingdom which He was about to establish... To be nothing for Jesus to receive is just the condition of entrance.

Mark also shows a fuller answer on the Lord's part to a slighter request. He is asked to "touch" them; He takes them up in His arms, puts His hands on them, and blesses them.

We, who are Christian parents, may then with confidence get upon our knees to bring the cases of our children to the Lord... If we bring them so that He may meet their desperate need and accomplish their blessing, He will hear us. The varying circumstances on our side will be no hindrance. We ourselves may be Jews or Gentiles. We may have little faith, or faulty faith, or strong faith. We may even be so overcome by grief that we make no spoken appeal at all. It is all the same. The children may be young or old, afflicted in mind or body, or with no affliction at all — it is all the same. He will deliver. He will bless.

They betrayed their own self-important, teacher-like manner. That manner makes much of ceremony and much of knowledge, and overlooks the power of grace and the display of divine affections. Besides that, they took His place. They misrepresented Him and the God of all grace who sent Him. And they misrepresented the essential character of the kingdom He was about to set up.

It would be hard to understand why anyone should be indifferent about this. But we must remember that our hearts are the same as the hearts of the disciples long ago. They rebuked the people who tried to bring "little children" to Jesus, so that He might lay His blessed hands on them and pray. The Lord had to rebuke the rebukers. May we never be rebuked for not sharing the spirit of our Master!

When the disciples rebuked these mothers, Mark also tells us that the Lord was "much displeased." Again the Spirit uses a very strong word. It carries the sense of grief, indignation, and anger. You remember how He said: "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them." The New Testament speaks six times of others being much displeased, or grieved, or indignant, or angry: the disciples themselves more than once, the Pharisees, the ruler of the synagogue. But only once do we find this word used of our Lord. That once was toward His own disciples, when they tried to stop the mothers bringing their little ones to Him. There is a very grave lesson for us here. Sad to say, there are many today, good men too, who walk in the disciples' footsteps and try to stop Christian parents bringing their little children to the Lord.

The root of sin is in children. Even so, they were the expression of simplicity and confidence. They had none of the craftiness and corruption that comes from knowing the world and the depravity of nature. They present to the heart the simplicity of uncorrupted nature, which has not learned the deceit of the world. And the Lord, being a stranger in the world, recognises in them what His Father has created.

With such a definite word it seems almost impossible that anyone could doubt God's love for the little ones. Still, some have done it. They read our Lord's gracious words as making the little children symbols of believers, and say that only those who have believed are meant... The Lord takes up these little ones and approves the faith which had presented them to Him for a blessing. He puts His hands on them and declares that these little ones are a part of the kingdom.

There is a welcome in His heart for the weak and simple. Their simplicity and confidence are the outstanding marks of those who enter the Kingdom of God. He took these little ones into His arms and blessed them. In the same way, the everlasting arms will be under all who in simplicity and confidence put their trust in Him, and He will lift His hands to bless them.

No doubt many a parent has rejoiced in heart over this account. Their young ones, so dear to them, are not beneath the Lord's notice... What interest He showed in each one! What a sight it would have been to watch, baby after baby taken up into the Saviour's arms!

Those who enter into His kingdom must by grace receive the Saviour and His word as a child receives what its parents say. Self-reliance is shut out and replaced by dependence on God, in the sense of our own nothingness.

So it is with the beginning of spiritual life. We do not enter it as people who have done something great. We enter in weakness and poverty, to receive grace that is not owed to us. And the end is like the beginning. It is in grace we grow. At the end as at the start, it is salvation that we receive. Reward at last is not a claim but mercy.

They were the expression of what God had created. A child is trusting, without the suspicion that grows up with a person. The world lives in distrust, which is miserable at root, but that is not the case with a child. It has no distrust, but is ready to believe anything (it often gets cheated); and the Lord says that is what He likes. Unless you receive the kingdom as a child you will not enter it.

Is there any feature of childhood as obvious as this: the simplicity with which a child trusts the people he deals with? Offer him something he wants — an apple, a toy. Does he start making excuses? Does he say he does not deserve it, that he is not good enough, that he must behave better before he can expect such a gift? No. His hand is out at once. He gives you credit for being as good as you seem to be in holding the gift out to him.

He received them and tenderly took them into His arms to bless them. Such is the Kingdom of God. Sin is in them. But little children show some marks of a nature not yet corrupted. The way into the Kingdom is the new birth; and that must be received as a little child.

The Lord next points out what marks the kingdom: a spirit of simplicity, teachableness and nothingness. Whoever does not receive it as a little child cannot enter it. It is essential. Wisdom, learning, high position, reputation, authority — all must bow and be laid completely low. A little child has none of them. Of such is the kingdom, and on no other ground can anyone enter.

There was a hearty welcome for little children with Jesus. But it was more than that: we must all in spirit become little children. Are we not often told that salvation is by faith? that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ has salvation and eternal life? How then can these blessings depend here on my becoming a little child? They are only two different ways of presenting the same thing. Faith is this childlike spirit that everyone must have if he is to enter the kingdom of God.

The Lord tells His disciples that everyone who receives the kingdom must do so as a little child. A little one submits to the authority of its parents. In the same way, everyone who enters the kingdom must submit to the authority of the King, the Lord Jesus. These submissive little ones He therefore takes into His arms, puts His hands on them and blesses them.

Mark also shows a fuller answer from the Lord to a smaller request. They ask Him to "touch" them; He takes them up in His arms, puts His hands on them, and blesses them.

It was when the disciples were rebuking those who brought the children to Him, that He took them up in His arms. He would gladly give the nearest and fondest place of affection to these children. Ignorance of Him, and the mistakes of man's poor, foolish heart, would have kept them at a distance.

He takes them in His arms. The arm speaks of might and power, but also of nearness and affection. A child who lies in the arms of a father or mother hears and feels their heartbeat and knows: 'My dad/my mum loves me.' When we bring our children to the Lord, we have brought them to the One who loves them with an unchanging love… He lays His hands on them. This speaks of identification, and here above all of His protection. His mighty hand will protect them. Our children should know — as we should — that He is mightier than all the other influences and powers in this world… He blesses them. To bless means to speak well of them and to wish what is best for them. As parents we are meant to wish our children the very best, but sadly we often make mistakes. The Lord never does.

Mark often records small details of our Lord's look, tone, or act. He tells us that Jesus "took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them." Here the Spirit of God uses a very strong word for bless. It is kept for these little children alone, and used nowhere else in the New Testament. It could be translated, He "fervently blessed them." Mark also tells us that when the disciples rebuked these mothers, the Lord was — in the older wording — "much displeased." Again the Spirit uses a very strong word, meaning "grieved, indignant, and angry."… We find this word used of our Lord only once. That was towards His own disciples, when they tried to stop the mothers bringing their little ones to Him.

There is a welcome in His heart for the weak and simple. The root of sin is in them, yet their simplicity and confidence are the outstanding marks of those who enter the Kingdom of God. He took these little ones into His arms and blessed them. In the same way, the everlasting arms will be under all who put their trust in Him in simplicity and confidence, and He will lift up His hands to bless them.

With all the little ones about Him, He gave a gracious answer to the desire of those who had brought them. He "took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them." Many a parent has rejoiced in heart over this account. Their young ones, so dear to them, are not beneath the notice of the Lord… What interest He showed in each one! What a sight to have seen — baby after baby taken up into His arms by the Saviour!… The parent can know that the Lord will receive a little child.