Luke 18:15-17 15And they were also bringing infants to him so that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they were rebuking them. 16But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for of such ones belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
This passage provides a significant insight into how Jesus viewed children. Children are not mentioned much in the Bible, but every passage that does mention them is significant. This episode has four key points. The first is that Jesus blessed the children with his touch. The touch of Jesus was always significant in the Gospel stories. A touch relays an intimate presence and relationship. It is a way to physically bestow a blessing. The verb were bringing (prosepheron) is in the imperfect tense which implies a continuing action as Jesus traveled towards Jerusalem. This was not a one-time activity.
The text does not say who brought these children to Jesus, but we can assume they were people with faith in Jesus, particularly the parents. The blessing Jesus bestowed upon the children came through the agency of believing parents and community people. The word for infant (brephē) refers to very young children, like babies and infants. This action was a form of baby dedication. We have a model of infant dedication in the New Testament, but curiously, there is no evidence of infant baptism.
The second point is how the disciples responded to the situation by rebuking those who brought the children. The verb rebuked () is a strong word that can mean sternly warn or show disapproval. This verb is also imperfect, showing that the disciples responded each time people brought the babies to Jesus. The disciples had their own agendas and goals, which may have been related to getting to Jerusalem and participating in the grand acknowledgment of Jesus. They had missed the important of the core of Jesus’ message about self-denial and taking up one’s cross.
Third, Jesus responds positively to the situation in Luke’s version. Luke leaves out that phrase found in Mark 10:14 that Jesus “was indignant” or upset with them. Jesus may have been growing increasingly frustrated with the disciples for their lack of faith and understanding. He wanted people to bring the children to him for his blessing. The word for child changes to (paidia) has a broader age range than the word for infant in verse 15. It can go include children all the way to puberty. His command let the children come to me has echoed throughout the ages. Children are the future generation. Ever since ancient Israel and the revelation of God’s laws on Sinai repeated in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, raising children in the faith has been central to God’s people. Jesus’ response to children was much different than the typical response of people of his day, exemplified by the disciples who saw children as inconvenient.
Fourth, Jesus uses this situation as a teaching opportunity to give deeper insight into the kingdom of God. He extends the theme from his earlier teaching that calls for humility and simple faith. The challenge with verses 16 and 17 is that he does not say specifically how children act, so we have to consider and imagine this ourselves. The children in this story may be too small to make their own decisions, but they could look in admiration and simple faith in Jesus as he held them and touched them. We can imagine the smiles on the children, much like the smiles we might receive when we lovingly hold a small child. These children had simple faith and trust. They did not need theological degrees like the Pharisees or scribes to experience and receive Jesus’ blessings. This type of simple faith is all that is required to enter God’s kingdom. If we start adding a bunch of rules and burdens, people will never find the kingdom. Self-denial begins with simple faith. This faith will grow in time and should obviously impact how we act. Discipleship requires active faith that leads to love and holiness.
Jesus makes clear that the kingdom is a gift to be received () and not to be earned. The children who came to Jesus had nothing to give except their love and trust. Love and trust are the key requirements to receiving the blessing of being part of God’s kingdom and family. The kingdom is not about all the wonderful qualities what we bring to it but what we receive through the blessing of Jesus.
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