“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:13-14
“Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” - Luke 18:15-17
J.C. Ryle’s short sermon on this interaction between Jesus, His disciples, and the children is worth reading in its entirety (here), but my favorite part is below:
“Let us leave the whole passage with a deep sense of the value of children's souls, and with a settled resolution to "put on the mind of Christ" in all our dealings with them. Let us regard children as a most important part of Christ's professing Church, and a part which the great Head of the Church does not like to see neglected. Let us train them from their earliest infancy in godly ways, and sow the seed of Scripture truth in their minds, with strong confidence that it will one day bear fruit.
Let us believe that they think more, and feel more, and consider more, than at first sight appears; and that the Spirit is often working in them, as really and truly as in older people. Above all, let us often name them before Christ in prayer, and ask Him to take them under His special charge. He never changes. He is always the same. He cared for boys and girls when He was upon earth. Let us not doubt that He cares for them at the right hand of God in heaven.”
I have three primary take-aways from these passages that I hope will encourage you, whether you are a parent yourself or simply a member of a church with children in it.
Include children - Let us not artificially separate or divide the body of Christ. The children are vital to the life of the church, and should not be stashed away in an annexed building or relegated to playing dodgeball out back during corporate worship. As the old saying goes, “if the church isn’t crying, it’s dying.” Children are the future of the church; if they never participate, how will they ever learn? If they never learn, who will carry the church forward? Bring them in and keep them close. Let the sounds of every cry, squeak, and dropped toy car be as praises to God and assurance of His faithfulness to many generations.
Learn from children - Ryle continues,
"Like such as little children," all saints of God should strive to live. Their simple faith and dependence on others--their unworldliness and indifference to earthy treasures--their comparative humility, harmlessness, and freedom from deceit--are points in which they furnish believers with an excellent example. Happy is he who can draw near to Christ and the Bible in the spirit of a little child!
As we look to our elders in striving to be wise as serpents, we must likewise look to our children in our endeavor to be “as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), free from the harmful distractions and temptations of the world.
Pray for children - Scripture is clear that we must teach, guide, and correct our children according to Scripture, but also that no parent can guarantee his child’s individual salvation apart from the work of God in his heart. We must pray that our children, and their children, to the ten thousandth generation, would see their sin, acknowledge their inability to save themselves by their own efforts, cling to the Savior by grace through faith, and then go and disciple the nations, starting with their own families. Just as sheep in a land of vicious wolves, we must pray that our children, who are especially precious in the sight of our Lord, would be watchful, always on the alert, donning the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), ready to combat the idols of the day and stand firm against evil. As Spurgeon was fond of saying about his own mother, but which certainly applies to both parents,
Never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a godly mother.
See the way that Christs treats the children, His special care and love for them, and His rebuke of those who try to keep them from Him. Let us remember that children are not a burden, but members of God’s covenant community, who have just as much right and access to the Lord as any grown believer. Let us treat them accordingly.
Have a great week,
LC