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Lesson 42 of the Discipleship Making process.
A short while after Jesus told the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge, people began bringing their children to Him that He might touch them and pray a blessing upon them. When the disciples saw this they rebuked the people. However, Jesus was indignant with the disciples and replied, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them: for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Read: Mark 10:13-16, Matthew 19:13-15, Luke 18:15-17
We may never know the real reason that people brought their children to Jesus or why the disciples rebuked them for it, but we can tell by His actions and verbal response that Jesus loved children and considered them valuable enough to warrant His time and attention. Perhaps He recalled what His mother had told Him about Simeon in the Temple. How he took Jesus, as a baby into his arms and pronounced a blessing over Him: “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, and the glory of Your people Israel,” Luke 2:29-32.
From the Scriptures, we can observe firsthand the parent’s determination and faith in bringing their children to Jesus. So it seems that we who are parents of young children should seek to model their behavior since Jesus found it acceptable. And as the church, we should take Jesus’ attitude by not hindering any child from entering into a relationship with Him.
The point of the lesson is to not stop children from having a relationship with Jesus.
With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider, along with a little homework assignment until my next posting:
What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement to His disciples: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem”?
. . . and the homework assignment . . .
The “laying on of hands” always denotes a spiritual impartation of some form to the one on whom hands are laid. Following are a few of those Biblical mandates, gifts, and blessings that are imparted through the laying on of hands (Hebrews 6:1-3):
- Giving of the Holy Spirit (ex. Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Acts 1:5, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:17, 9:17, 19:6)
- Giving of spiritual gifts (ex. Acts 19:6, 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6)
- Healing (ex. Mark 6:5, 16:18, Luke 4:40)
- Baptism (ex. Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:21-22, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, 2:41, 8:12, 8:15-16, 9:17-18, 10:47-48, 16:33)
- Ordination of priests, ministers, elders, deacons and other officials (ex. Acts 6:6-7, 13:3, 1 Timothy 5:22)
- Dedications (ex. Mark 10:16)
- With spoken blessings (ex. Matthew 19:13, Mark 10:16, Luke 24:50-52, Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 1:3, 1 Peter 3:9)
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