Jesus Smiles With Children in a Blossoming OrchardBible World
18:15Luke 18:15
And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
Mothers with their neighbors brought infants and older children to Jesus to touch and bless them, following the custom of bringing little ones to a rabbi for blessing and hoping His help in training them for God. When the disciples saw it they rebuked and turned them away, thinking the children too young to benefit and His work too important to interrupt. Jesus was displeased not with the mothers but with the disciples, and He took the children in His arms, laid His hands on them and gave them the blessing they came for. He welcomed them as able to receive His grace and belong to His kingdom, coming down to their understanding and planting truths in their minds that would spring up unto eternal life, seeing in them future heirs and even martyrs. Children are still to be brought to Him today, and His touch sends mothers back strengthened and cheerful, for He remains as truly a personal Saviour of mothers and children now as in Judea.
Bringing Infants for Blessing
The little ones were carried to Jesus by their mothers, neighbors joining with them in making the journey together, and those carried included not only infants but children who had passed beyond infancy into childhood and youth, brought so that He would touch them and give them His blessing. The bringing followed the Jewish custom of taking children to a rabbi for him to lay his hands upon them in blessing. The mothers came weighed down with the care of training their children according to the word of God, hoping His blessing would help them in teaching them. Their prayers had been heard, and Jesus Himself had drawn them into His presence.
When the disciples saw it they looked upon the mothers with disfavor and rebuked those who brought them and sent them away. They thought His work too important to be interrupted in this way. They thought the children too young to be benefited by a visit to Him, concluded He would be displeased at their presence, and supposed they were doing Him a favor by turning them back.
Jesus heard the timid, tearful request with sympathy, yet waited to see how the disciples would treat those who came. His displeasure was not with the mothers but with the disciples, and He showed them their error. He accepted the children's affection, took them up in His arms, laid His hands upon them, and gave them the blessing for which they had come. His gentle, kindly manner won their love and confidence.
Jesus Receives Children Today
Luke 18:15 belongs to the account of Christ's welcome of children even while occupied with teaching crowds, for He never lost sight of them in His work as a public teacher but made time for them and gave them personal attention. When wearied by the bustle of the crowded city and tired of contact with crafty and hypocritical men, He found rest and peace in the society of innocent little children. His presence never repelled them, for His large heart of love comprehended their trials and necessities and found happiness in their simple joys, understanding their needs and joys.
He treated children as those who can receive His grace and belong to His kingdom, who may be brought to Him for forgiveness and acceptance. He knew these children would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than grown people, many of whom were worldly-wise and hard-hearted. In the children brought to Him He saw future men and women who would be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, some of whom would become martyrs for His sake.
In His teaching He came down to their level, He the Majesty of heaven not disdaining to answer their questions and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He adapted His teaching to their understanding and planted in their expanding minds truths and seeds of truth. Those truths planted could bear fruit as they grew and in after years would spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.
His love in receiving them tenderly and taking them up in His arms kindled love for Him in the heart of the young ruler who was watching and stirred his desire to be His disciple. Children should still be brought to Jesus and welcomed as participants in His work. Those who received His blessing were to be told of it repeatedly and were thus prepared to become workers together with Him.
His touch and words comforted the mothers and sent them back to their homes strengthened and blessed, encouraged to take up their burden with new cheerfulness and to work hopefully for their children. Christ is as verily a personal Saviour and helper of mothers now as when He gathered the little ones to His arms in Judea. The children of present hearths are as much the purchase of His blood as the children of long ago, and the mothers of today are to receive His words with the same faith. His example calls mothers who need divine support to seek His blessing and the work of His Spirit in their children's hearts.
The verse is also the example of the oppressed people of God raising a united, persistent cry to heaven for deliverance in the closing scenes of the church's history.
Mothers with their neighbors brought infants and older children to Jesus to touch and bless them, following the custom of bringing little ones to a rabbi for blessing and hoping His help in training them for God. When the disciples saw it they rebuked and turned them away, thinking the children too young to benefit and His work too important to interrupt. Jesus was displeased not with the mothers but with the disciples, and He took the children in His arms, laid His hands on them and gave them the blessing they came for. He welcomed them as able to receive His grace and belong to His kingdom, coming down to their understanding and planting truths in their minds that would spring up unto eternal life, seeing in them future heirs and even martyrs. Children are still to be brought to Him today, and His touch sends mothers back strengthened and cheerful, for He remains as truly a personal Saviour of mothers and children now as in Judea.
Bringing Infants for Blessing
The little ones were carried to Jesus by their mothers, neighbors joining with them in making the journey together, and those carried included not only infants but children who had passed beyond infancy into childhood and youth, brought so that He would touch them and give them His blessing. The bringing followed the Jewish custom of taking children to a rabbi for him to lay his hands upon them in blessing. The mothers came weighed down with the care of training their children according to the word of God, hoping His blessing would help them in teaching them. Their prayers had been heard, and Jesus Himself had drawn them into His presence.
When the disciples saw it they looked upon the mothers with disfavor and rebuked those who brought them and sent them away. They thought His work too important to be interrupted in this way. They thought the children too young to be benefited by a visit to Him, concluded He would be displeased at their presence, and supposed they were doing Him a favor by turning them back.
Jesus heard the timid, tearful request with sympathy, yet waited to see how the disciples would treat those who came. His displeasure was not with the mothers but with the disciples, and He showed them their error. He accepted the children's affection, took them up in His arms, laid His hands upon them, and gave them the blessing for which they had come. His gentle, kindly manner won their love and confidence.
Jesus Receives Children Today
Luke 18:15 belongs to the account of Christ's welcome of children even while occupied with teaching crowds, for He never lost sight of them in His work as a public teacher but made time for them and gave them personal attention. When wearied by the bustle of the crowded city and tired of contact with crafty and hypocritical men, He found rest and peace in the society of innocent little children. His presence never repelled them, for His large heart of love comprehended their trials and necessities and found happiness in their simple joys, understanding their needs and joys.
He treated children as those who can receive His grace and belong to His kingdom, who may be brought to Him for forgiveness and acceptance. He knew these children would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than grown people, many of whom were worldly-wise and hard-hearted. In the children brought to Him He saw future men and women who would be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, some of whom would become martyrs for His sake.
In His teaching He came down to their level, He the Majesty of heaven not disdaining to answer their questions and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He adapted His teaching to their understanding and planted in their expanding minds truths and seeds of truth. Those truths planted could bear fruit as they grew and in after years would spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.
His love in receiving them tenderly and taking them up in His arms kindled love for Him in the heart of the young ruler who was watching and stirred his desire to be His disciple. Children should still be brought to Jesus and welcomed as participants in His work. Those who received His blessing were to be told of it repeatedly and were thus prepared to become workers together with Him.
His touch and words comforted the mothers and sent them back to their homes strengthened and blessed, encouraged to take up their burden with new cheerfulness and to work hopefully for their children. Christ is as verily a personal Saviour and helper of mothers now as when He gathered the little ones to His arms in Judea. The children of present hearths are as much the purchase of His blood as the children of long ago, and the mothers of today are to receive His words with the same faith. His example calls mothers who need divine support to seek His blessing and the work of His Spirit in their children's hearts.
The verse is also the example of the oppressed people of God raising a united, persistent cry to heaven for deliverance in the closing scenes of the church's history.