And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Mothers brought infants, children and youth for Him to touch and bless by laying on His hands, but the disciples rebuked them and sent them away as too young to be benefited, and He was much displeased, corrected the disciples and commanded the children to be allowed to come. He took them up in His arms and held them close against Him, laid His hands upon them, blessed them and spoke words they could understand. The act reveals unfailing tenderness, love, compassion, gentleness and sympathy, understanding their trials and joys, listening to their troubles, comforting their sorrows and finding rest and joy in their innocent society. In them He saw heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, purchased by His blood, whose young hearts are especially open and susceptible to the Spirit and receive Him far more readily than worldly-wise grown people, so the kingdom must be received as a little child. His blessing planted seeds of truth that would spring up unto eternal life and keep many from straying, and it lays upon all parents the lesson to bring their children to Him from birth by faith and dedication, and upon ministers and the church to never repel them but welcome, help and teach them with the same gentle affection.
Setting and Physical Actions
Mothers brought infants, children and youth to Jesus to be touched and blessed, seeking for their little ones the blessing given by the laying on of hands according to the Jewish custom of bringing children to a rabbi. He Himself had drawn them into His presence in answer to their prayers and their burden to train their children according to the word of God, and the mothers came timidly and tearfully, with weary care, to make that request. The disciples disapproved, rebuked those who brought them and tried to send the mothers away as an interruption by those too young to be benefited, thinking to please Him. Jesus was much displeased with the disciples, corrected them and commanded that the little children be allowed to come to Him and not be forbidden, for of such is the kingdom of God.
He took the young children up in His arms, embraced them, held them close and laid His hands upon them and upon their heads, and blessed them. In doing so He gave them the very blessing they had come seeking, and His welcome comforted their mothers. He spoke words they could understand, and His welcome shows that He receives those who come to Him for help. His blessing could remain with them until they were converted, and children thus treated kindly may later become fellow workers.
Mothers also came with sick and dying little ones in their arms and laid them in His arms, and He gathered them close, held them, soothed their cries and blessed them. At His touch disease fled, fever and pain were healed, and healing grace rested on the afflicted. Children and youth were restored to health from a dying condition, and they were returned to their grateful parents smiling and well and strong, showing that His power on earth was not limited.
The children were glad to come, were drawn to Him, felt at home and safe with Him and felt welcome in His arms held close to His loving heart. They put their elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face and read there depths of love and gentleness beaming from Him. Though Creator and Lord He was attentive to them and received their praise, welcomed their affection, smiled upon them until they caught His smile and ran after Him, and His gentle manner won their love, confidence and trust. He gave them lilies from the field while they brought Him little flowers as gifts.
Tender Love Revealed
Taking them in His arms, laying hands on them and blessing them was unfailing tenderness, love, kindness, compassion, gentleness, courtesy and sympathy made personal. It was tenderness meeting every form of woe and affliction, going from house to house to heal the sick, feed the hungry, comfort mourners, soothe the afflicted, speak peace to the distressed and hope to weary mothers, laboring not for Himself but as servant of all whose meat and drink was to comfort others and gladden the sad and heavy-laden. So full of sympathy and love in human garb, standing at the head of humanity, He was easily approached by the most lowly and the poorest was not afraid to come, and His welcome comforted care-burdened mothers and showed children are no hindrance to coming. His large heart of love comprehended their trials, necessities, perplexities, happiness and simple joys, sharing their happiness, listening to their troubles, comforting and easing sorrows, soothing griefs, disappointments and hurts. He came down to their level, answered their questions, and simplified important lessons to meet childish understanding so truth could be planted to bear fruit later.
Wearied with the bustle and confusion of the crowded city and tired of contact with crafty and hypocritical men, He found rest, peace and joy in the society of innocent little children. His presence never repelled them and He never turned any child away, but smiled upon them, played with them, welcomed their affection, and His face and eyes lit up with smiles that drew them. Children were quick to know who loves them, many were attracted to catch His eye and smile, and His gentle manner won their love, confidence and trust while He had a word of comfort and love for everyone. His gentle care shows genuine religion is not cold, joyless, gloomy or frowning, though He bore grief and labored earnestly for others, and children's innocent happiness is not to be frowned upon or repressed.
Playing with little children, embracing and blessing them reveals the perfect pattern of what to be, strictest in obedience to His Father's law yet moving in perfect freedom, fervent yet calm, sober and self-possessed. He was elevated above common affairs yet not excluding Himself from society, combining the innocence and simplicity of the child with manly strength and all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man, to be lived with daily in close connection as wisdom, strength and righteousness. The same kindness and tenderness shown when He Himself was still a child continues now, for He still loves little children and grown-up children with inexpressible love. He still holds them as His little flock and His own children, encircles them in His long arms, still takes children in His arms and blesses them now as then, still accepts and blesses them when asked, and desires to bless them in meetings by placing hands on their heads and in their homes.
His care extends to children and youth in danger from temptation, seeking and protecting those who stray. Little children were glad to come, put elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face and read there depths of love and gentleness beaming from Him, and that love in the heart springs up as gentleness and love toward others.
Children's Standing in Kingdom
In those children He saw future men and women who would be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, the purchase of His blood and the heritage of the Lord for whom He died. Some of those very children would become martyrs for His sake, willing to suffer for Him. Young hearts are especially open to Christian teaching and susceptible to the influences of the Spirit, quick to know who loves them, and would listen to Him and accept Him as Redeemer far more readily than worldly-wise, hard-hearted grown people. The kingdom of God must be received as a little child or it cannot be entered at all, and older persons must become as children in order to be saved as sheep of His fold.
Children are not a hindrance to coming to Him, and even those with human passions and wayward tendencies are no reason to keep them from Him. He pardons and receives children who are brought to Him and invites even the youngest members of the family as lambs of His fold. Children can be saved and are to be taught that they can be saved. They are to bring their sins to Jesus, ask His forgiveness, and believe He pardons and receives them just as He received the children when personally on earth, while their conversion does not require violent emotion as essential evidence nor knowing the exact time of conversion.
He loves to have children come to Him with all their little perplexities and troubles, and He can come down to the wants of children and meet their needs. He wants them to trust in Him and to love Him, and He loves little children and is pleased when they try to do what is right. He hears their prayers, and when they give their hearts to Him and offer simple prayers He mingles with those prayers the incense of His own spotless merits so they come up before God made fragrant by the purity and loveliness of His character. Children please Him by doing His will and by giving Him in small duties the best service they can give, and this knowledge of His love in receiving and blessing children is to be carried to less fortunate little children.
His habit whenever He saw children of taking them in His arms and blessing them instructed those around Him how to grasp divinity. It showed divinity clothed with humanity so that divinity could grasp humanity and humanity could grasp divinity by taking Him as personal Saviour, revealing His coming to a world where humanity did not recognize divinity and His living as a human being from babyhood to help humanity by humanity so people could learn how to lay hold on His divinity and be saved and pardoned from transgression. His experience of human life and tenderness toward people fit Him to represent and intercede for humanity. He is just as truly a personal Saviour today as when He lived as a man among men, and just as truly the helper of mothers today, and He still takes children in His arms and blesses them now as He did then.
Lasting Influence of Blessing
That embrace stamped His image and His words upon young minds, planting seeds of truth in their expanding, receptive minds that would spring up in after years and bear fruit unto eternal life. He came down to their level, answered their questions and simplified His important lessons to meet their childish understanding, because young hearts are especially open to Christian teaching and retain its influence. His kindness and personal tenderness in welcoming them showed they are to be approached with love, patience and kindness.
His blessing could remain with them until they were converted. Mothers afterward recalled that day and repeated His loving words to their children, and the memory of those words often kept the children in later years from straying from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. Those who received His blessing were filled with the Spirit of Christ, and their mothers went home rejoicing and comforted that Christ had blessed their children. His blessing makes them more and more lovable and beautiful in character like Jesus.
Children treated kindly and thus prepared may later become fellow workers and laborers together with Him, reminded of His welcome and led into service for Him in advancing His work. When parents bring them as an offering to the Lord and patiently teach them, more children serve in the army of the Lord, trained and educated to do His will. He is glad when they deny themselves to give offerings and become His fellow workers to make Him known, and that knowledge of His love in receiving and blessing children is to be carried to less fortunate little children. His love wants each child to form a beautiful character and to use present association with one another as a precious opportunity to learn usefulness. That means not indulging the weak, defective part of character when temptation comes, but letting the love of Christ constrain the heart to be kind, thoughtful in words and actions, and helpful to one another, so no seed of envy, fretting, complaining, evil thinking, or jealousy is sown to grow into tares and thistles that grieve one another and grieve Him.
Duty of Parents and Mothers
Mark 10:16 gives all parents a lesson to study, calling them by faith to bring their children to Jesus from birth and from their earliest years as an offering to the Lord and not to neglect bringing them. That bringing includes bringing children forward to be blessed in His name, even dear children from one to four or five years old, with the assurance that children may be brought to Him for His blessing and urged to choose to become Christians. Parents who are surprised and disappointed that their children are not religiously inclined lack love for Christ and His truth themselves, and faith must become different from what it now is in order to be so highly favored as to see the salvation of children.
The mothers who brought infants, children, and youth to Jesus give the pattern, for He Himself had drawn them into His presence in answer to their prayers and their burden to train their children according to the word of God. He tenderly received the children their mothers timidly and tearfully brought, took them in His arms, laid His hands on them, and gave them the blessing they had come seeking, showing that children are not a hindrance to coming to Him. His welcome comforted the mothers, and care-burdened mothers may take courage from His compassion and work hopefully for their children with new cheerfulness. The women in Judea who brought their little ones carry the sacred burden as the pattern for mothers training children for the kingdom of heaven, and mothers today are to receive His words with the same faith, feeling their need of divine support, entrusting themselves and their children to His care, asking Him for the grace and wisdom needed to train them, being taught of God and daily learners in the school of Christ so they can impart instruction in righteousness and lead their children to higher and higher attainments.
Bringing them means solemnly dedicating them to God as soon as born and as they grow conscientiously surrounding them with the best possible influences. It means keeping the family altar erected in the home and bringing children to Jesus in the arms of faith by training them in obedience and faith and keeping their attention on Him as their loving Savior. It means patiently and lovingly teaching children that Jesus is their very best Friend to whom they can go with all their trials and sorrows and who will sympathize with them, a neglected duty parents must take up without delay in the fear of the Lord. It means never presenting the heavenly Father as a God of tyranny but as a God of love, so that children will want to be children of God and followers of Jesus Christ.
It also means sharing with children the light gained about the righteousness of Christ, pleading with Him for the wisdom that guides in molding the minds of children, and bringing religion into home duties and responsibilities. Christ is ready to bless every child and wants children to pray for His help in avoiding evil, to guard against hasty words and wicked actions, and to live as God desires while preparing for heaven.
Children are the Lord's property entrusted to parents, and parents must give account to Him for the appetites and passions they transmit to them and for the instruction, education, and training they give them. To bring them to Jesus parents must cleanse their thoughts and the soul temple, pray and watch unto prayer, hold fast to the throne of God, come up from a low level, and adorn the doctrine of Christ the Savior. Parents are to bring their children to the Lord by beginning the new year with consecration of the whole being to God, each offering himself as a humble offering in full surrender, seeking God with all the heart, praying and believing His promises, and seeking the grace of Christ to be taught His way and His will. Fathers and mothers have the sacred work of removing every stumbling block from the path of their children so the Lord can work, and by laboring for their own souls and for the souls of others they become laborers together with God.
His taking little children in His arms and blessing them proves that children are the heritage of the Lord, that Christ died for children, and that He is ready to do a great work for them when parents cooperate with Him. It makes bringing children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord the greatest missionary work parents can perform, with earnest labor for the salvation of those out of Christ beginning in the family. Children are His precious little flock who need to be carefully and tenderly shielded from temptation, and they must be helped now to choose the path that leads to the fold of safety before probationary time ends and it is forever too late to enter. They are precious to Him and should be honored and cared for as a sacred charge, not indulged, petted, or idolized, but taught to live pure, noble lives and helped to form perfect characters.
After a mother's death He will not leave her children nor their father comfortless, for He still loves little children as His own little children and blesses them when asked. A double responsibility then rests on the father to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and those who deal with these lambs of Christ's fold must treat them gently, tenderly, and lovingly, so their young and inexperienced feet are guided to walk safely. Parents and children should be united in willing service to God, opening the way for children to take in that He loves them and will be greatly pleased if they love Him and give their young hearts to Him.
Pattern for Church Ministry
His example forbids a forbidding attitude toward children in church and requires welcoming them, caring for them, helping and encouraging them, and praying with and for mothers who need encouragement. Children are susceptible to the influences of the Spirit, and His tender embrace when He took young children up in His arms, put His hands upon them and blessed them when they were brought to be touched, rebukes severity and justice without mercy, which will never win the benediction upon faithful service. Children are the heritage of the Lord for whom Christ died, and He is ready to do a great work for them when parents cooperate with Him, so that bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is the greatest missionary work, which must be received as a little child or not entered at all.
His gentle affection and tender sympathy is the example for ministers, who should treat others with tender sympathy and courtesy and never repel them. He stood in human garb so full of sympathy and love that the poorest was not afraid to come to Him and He was easily approached by the most lowly, and taking little children in His arms and blessing them belonged to His going from house to house healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, and speaking peace to the distressed. He spoke words of hope and comfort to weary mothers and met every form of human woe and affliction with unfailing tenderness and gentleness, laboring not for Himself but for others as the servant of all, whose meat and drink was to comfort and console others and to bring hope and strength to all with whom He came in contact. His method is the pattern ministers must learn, and His teaching was earnest and convicting and different from the traditions and dogmas of the rabbis, so that as men and women listened hope sprang up in their hearts. That same Spirit that dwelt in Christ is the source of knowledge and the secret of power for bringing from the storehouse of His word what will supply spiritual needs in carrying on His work.
Children can be brought to Him for blessing, for He still accepts and blesses little children now as He did then, and they are to learn the lessons of God's Word and be won by the simplicity of its truth, with all labor for them marked by the same simplicity that was in His own words. They are brought through thoughtful, engaging instruction in Bible truth, including Sabbath-school teaching that helps them understand and carry that truth into their homes, educating them in faith rather than relying on brief emotional excitement. They need special care at home and in school because Satan seeks to entice them toward destruction, while the Spirit works to draw them to God, and those who teach them are responsible for working earnestly to lead them to Christ. Instruction is to be given to children in every discourse, speaking directly to them so they know Jesus loves them, giving words of hope and comfort, for He receives children who come to Him and hears their simple prayers. This knowledge of His love in receiving and blessing them is to be carried to less fortunate little children, and should lead children to deny self and give missionary offerings to make Him known to others.
His kind acts of love in taking children in His arms and blessing them, healing the sick, and comforting the sorrowing drew hearts to Him and won attention, so that wherever He spoke of the higher life, in the synagogue, by the wayside, from a boat, or at feasts, hearers listened closely and His words brought spiritual life to souls. Doing such good opens hearts to receive testimony about the Saviour. Mothers came with sick and dying little ones in their arms, and He took the little ones so that disease fled at His touch, and the same Jesus still cures maladies, bringing hope to every heart and encouraging the invalid to hope for healing. Seeing His tender reception and love in receiving children tenderly, taking them in His arms and blessing them, awakened love for the Saviour in the young ruler and stirred his desire to become His disciple. That blessing of the children became the example he hoped to receive so that his unmet spiritual need might be satisfied.
Mothers brought infants, children and youth for Him to touch and bless by laying on His hands, but the disciples rebuked them and sent them away as too young to be benefited, and He was much displeased, corrected the disciples and commanded the children to be allowed to come. He took them up in His arms and held them close against Him, laid His hands upon them, blessed them and spoke words they could understand. The act reveals unfailing tenderness, love, compassion, gentleness and sympathy, understanding their trials and joys, listening to their troubles, comforting their sorrows and finding rest and joy in their innocent society. In them He saw heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, purchased by His blood, whose young hearts are especially open and susceptible to the Spirit and receive Him far more readily than worldly-wise grown people, so the kingdom must be received as a little child. His blessing planted seeds of truth that would spring up unto eternal life and keep many from straying, and it lays upon all parents the lesson to bring their children to Him from birth by faith and dedication, and upon ministers and the church to never repel them but welcome, help and teach them with the same gentle affection.
Setting and Physical Actions
Mothers brought infants, children and youth to Jesus to be touched and blessed, seeking for their little ones the blessing given by the laying on of hands according to the Jewish custom of bringing children to a rabbi. He Himself had drawn them into His presence in answer to their prayers and their burden to train their children according to the word of God, and the mothers came timidly and tearfully, with weary care, to make that request. The disciples disapproved, rebuked those who brought them and tried to send the mothers away as an interruption by those too young to be benefited, thinking to please Him. Jesus was much displeased with the disciples, corrected them and commanded that the little children be allowed to come to Him and not be forbidden, for of such is the kingdom of God.
He took the young children up in His arms, embraced them, held them close and laid His hands upon them and upon their heads, and blessed them. In doing so He gave them the very blessing they had come seeking, and His welcome comforted their mothers. He spoke words they could understand, and His welcome shows that He receives those who come to Him for help. His blessing could remain with them until they were converted, and children thus treated kindly may later become fellow workers.
Mothers also came with sick and dying little ones in their arms and laid them in His arms, and He gathered them close, held them, soothed their cries and blessed them. At His touch disease fled, fever and pain were healed, and healing grace rested on the afflicted. Children and youth were restored to health from a dying condition, and they were returned to their grateful parents smiling and well and strong, showing that His power on earth was not limited.
The children were glad to come, were drawn to Him, felt at home and safe with Him and felt welcome in His arms held close to His loving heart. They put their elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face and read there depths of love and gentleness beaming from Him. Though Creator and Lord He was attentive to them and received their praise, welcomed their affection, smiled upon them until they caught His smile and ran after Him, and His gentle manner won their love, confidence and trust. He gave them lilies from the field while they brought Him little flowers as gifts.
Tender Love Revealed
Taking them in His arms, laying hands on them and blessing them was unfailing tenderness, love, kindness, compassion, gentleness, courtesy and sympathy made personal. It was tenderness meeting every form of woe and affliction, going from house to house to heal the sick, feed the hungry, comfort mourners, soothe the afflicted, speak peace to the distressed and hope to weary mothers, laboring not for Himself but as servant of all whose meat and drink was to comfort others and gladden the sad and heavy-laden. So full of sympathy and love in human garb, standing at the head of humanity, He was easily approached by the most lowly and the poorest was not afraid to come, and His welcome comforted care-burdened mothers and showed children are no hindrance to coming. His large heart of love comprehended their trials, necessities, perplexities, happiness and simple joys, sharing their happiness, listening to their troubles, comforting and easing sorrows, soothing griefs, disappointments and hurts. He came down to their level, answered their questions, and simplified important lessons to meet childish understanding so truth could be planted to bear fruit later.
Wearied with the bustle and confusion of the crowded city and tired of contact with crafty and hypocritical men, He found rest, peace and joy in the society of innocent little children. His presence never repelled them and He never turned any child away, but smiled upon them, played with them, welcomed their affection, and His face and eyes lit up with smiles that drew them. Children were quick to know who loves them, many were attracted to catch His eye and smile, and His gentle manner won their love, confidence and trust while He had a word of comfort and love for everyone. His gentle care shows genuine religion is not cold, joyless, gloomy or frowning, though He bore grief and labored earnestly for others, and children's innocent happiness is not to be frowned upon or repressed.
Playing with little children, embracing and blessing them reveals the perfect pattern of what to be, strictest in obedience to His Father's law yet moving in perfect freedom, fervent yet calm, sober and self-possessed. He was elevated above common affairs yet not excluding Himself from society, combining the innocence and simplicity of the child with manly strength and all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man, to be lived with daily in close connection as wisdom, strength and righteousness. The same kindness and tenderness shown when He Himself was still a child continues now, for He still loves little children and grown-up children with inexpressible love. He still holds them as His little flock and His own children, encircles them in His long arms, still takes children in His arms and blesses them now as then, still accepts and blesses them when asked, and desires to bless them in meetings by placing hands on their heads and in their homes.
His care extends to children and youth in danger from temptation, seeking and protecting those who stray. Little children were glad to come, put elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face and read there depths of love and gentleness beaming from Him, and that love in the heart springs up as gentleness and love toward others.
Children's Standing in Kingdom
In those children He saw future men and women who would be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, the purchase of His blood and the heritage of the Lord for whom He died. Some of those very children would become martyrs for His sake, willing to suffer for Him. Young hearts are especially open to Christian teaching and susceptible to the influences of the Spirit, quick to know who loves them, and would listen to Him and accept Him as Redeemer far more readily than worldly-wise, hard-hearted grown people. The kingdom of God must be received as a little child or it cannot be entered at all, and older persons must become as children in order to be saved as sheep of His fold.
Children are not a hindrance to coming to Him, and even those with human passions and wayward tendencies are no reason to keep them from Him. He pardons and receives children who are brought to Him and invites even the youngest members of the family as lambs of His fold. Children can be saved and are to be taught that they can be saved. They are to bring their sins to Jesus, ask His forgiveness, and believe He pardons and receives them just as He received the children when personally on earth, while their conversion does not require violent emotion as essential evidence nor knowing the exact time of conversion.
He loves to have children come to Him with all their little perplexities and troubles, and He can come down to the wants of children and meet their needs. He wants them to trust in Him and to love Him, and He loves little children and is pleased when they try to do what is right. He hears their prayers, and when they give their hearts to Him and offer simple prayers He mingles with those prayers the incense of His own spotless merits so they come up before God made fragrant by the purity and loveliness of His character. Children please Him by doing His will and by giving Him in small duties the best service they can give, and this knowledge of His love in receiving and blessing children is to be carried to less fortunate little children.
His habit whenever He saw children of taking them in His arms and blessing them instructed those around Him how to grasp divinity. It showed divinity clothed with humanity so that divinity could grasp humanity and humanity could grasp divinity by taking Him as personal Saviour, revealing His coming to a world where humanity did not recognize divinity and His living as a human being from babyhood to help humanity by humanity so people could learn how to lay hold on His divinity and be saved and pardoned from transgression. His experience of human life and tenderness toward people fit Him to represent and intercede for humanity. He is just as truly a personal Saviour today as when He lived as a man among men, and just as truly the helper of mothers today, and He still takes children in His arms and blesses them now as He did then.
Lasting Influence of Blessing
That embrace stamped His image and His words upon young minds, planting seeds of truth in their expanding, receptive minds that would spring up in after years and bear fruit unto eternal life. He came down to their level, answered their questions and simplified His important lessons to meet their childish understanding, because young hearts are especially open to Christian teaching and retain its influence. His kindness and personal tenderness in welcoming them showed they are to be approached with love, patience and kindness.
His blessing could remain with them until they were converted. Mothers afterward recalled that day and repeated His loving words to their children, and the memory of those words often kept the children in later years from straying from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. Those who received His blessing were filled with the Spirit of Christ, and their mothers went home rejoicing and comforted that Christ had blessed their children. His blessing makes them more and more lovable and beautiful in character like Jesus.
Children treated kindly and thus prepared may later become fellow workers and laborers together with Him, reminded of His welcome and led into service for Him in advancing His work. When parents bring them as an offering to the Lord and patiently teach them, more children serve in the army of the Lord, trained and educated to do His will. He is glad when they deny themselves to give offerings and become His fellow workers to make Him known, and that knowledge of His love in receiving and blessing children is to be carried to less fortunate little children. His love wants each child to form a beautiful character and to use present association with one another as a precious opportunity to learn usefulness. That means not indulging the weak, defective part of character when temptation comes, but letting the love of Christ constrain the heart to be kind, thoughtful in words and actions, and helpful to one another, so no seed of envy, fretting, complaining, evil thinking, or jealousy is sown to grow into tares and thistles that grieve one another and grieve Him.
Duty of Parents and Mothers
Mark 10:16 gives all parents a lesson to study, calling them by faith to bring their children to Jesus from birth and from their earliest years as an offering to the Lord and not to neglect bringing them. That bringing includes bringing children forward to be blessed in His name, even dear children from one to four or five years old, with the assurance that children may be brought to Him for His blessing and urged to choose to become Christians. Parents who are surprised and disappointed that their children are not religiously inclined lack love for Christ and His truth themselves, and faith must become different from what it now is in order to be so highly favored as to see the salvation of children.
The mothers who brought infants, children, and youth to Jesus give the pattern, for He Himself had drawn them into His presence in answer to their prayers and their burden to train their children according to the word of God. He tenderly received the children their mothers timidly and tearfully brought, took them in His arms, laid His hands on them, and gave them the blessing they had come seeking, showing that children are not a hindrance to coming to Him. His welcome comforted the mothers, and care-burdened mothers may take courage from His compassion and work hopefully for their children with new cheerfulness. The women in Judea who brought their little ones carry the sacred burden as the pattern for mothers training children for the kingdom of heaven, and mothers today are to receive His words with the same faith, feeling their need of divine support, entrusting themselves and their children to His care, asking Him for the grace and wisdom needed to train them, being taught of God and daily learners in the school of Christ so they can impart instruction in righteousness and lead their children to higher and higher attainments.
Bringing them means solemnly dedicating them to God as soon as born and as they grow conscientiously surrounding them with the best possible influences. It means keeping the family altar erected in the home and bringing children to Jesus in the arms of faith by training them in obedience and faith and keeping their attention on Him as their loving Savior. It means patiently and lovingly teaching children that Jesus is their very best Friend to whom they can go with all their trials and sorrows and who will sympathize with them, a neglected duty parents must take up without delay in the fear of the Lord. It means never presenting the heavenly Father as a God of tyranny but as a God of love, so that children will want to be children of God and followers of Jesus Christ.
It also means sharing with children the light gained about the righteousness of Christ, pleading with Him for the wisdom that guides in molding the minds of children, and bringing religion into home duties and responsibilities. Christ is ready to bless every child and wants children to pray for His help in avoiding evil, to guard against hasty words and wicked actions, and to live as God desires while preparing for heaven.
Children are the Lord's property entrusted to parents, and parents must give account to Him for the appetites and passions they transmit to them and for the instruction, education, and training they give them. To bring them to Jesus parents must cleanse their thoughts and the soul temple, pray and watch unto prayer, hold fast to the throne of God, come up from a low level, and adorn the doctrine of Christ the Savior. Parents are to bring their children to the Lord by beginning the new year with consecration of the whole being to God, each offering himself as a humble offering in full surrender, seeking God with all the heart, praying and believing His promises, and seeking the grace of Christ to be taught His way and His will. Fathers and mothers have the sacred work of removing every stumbling block from the path of their children so the Lord can work, and by laboring for their own souls and for the souls of others they become laborers together with God.
His taking little children in His arms and blessing them proves that children are the heritage of the Lord, that Christ died for children, and that He is ready to do a great work for them when parents cooperate with Him. It makes bringing children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord the greatest missionary work parents can perform, with earnest labor for the salvation of those out of Christ beginning in the family. Children are His precious little flock who need to be carefully and tenderly shielded from temptation, and they must be helped now to choose the path that leads to the fold of safety before probationary time ends and it is forever too late to enter. They are precious to Him and should be honored and cared for as a sacred charge, not indulged, petted, or idolized, but taught to live pure, noble lives and helped to form perfect characters.
After a mother's death He will not leave her children nor their father comfortless, for He still loves little children as His own little children and blesses them when asked. A double responsibility then rests on the father to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and those who deal with these lambs of Christ's fold must treat them gently, tenderly, and lovingly, so their young and inexperienced feet are guided to walk safely. Parents and children should be united in willing service to God, opening the way for children to take in that He loves them and will be greatly pleased if they love Him and give their young hearts to Him.
Pattern for Church Ministry
His example forbids a forbidding attitude toward children in church and requires welcoming them, caring for them, helping and encouraging them, and praying with and for mothers who need encouragement. Children are susceptible to the influences of the Spirit, and His tender embrace when He took young children up in His arms, put His hands upon them and blessed them when they were brought to be touched, rebukes severity and justice without mercy, which will never win the benediction upon faithful service. Children are the heritage of the Lord for whom Christ died, and He is ready to do a great work for them when parents cooperate with Him, so that bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is the greatest missionary work, which must be received as a little child or not entered at all.
His gentle affection and tender sympathy is the example for ministers, who should treat others with tender sympathy and courtesy and never repel them. He stood in human garb so full of sympathy and love that the poorest was not afraid to come to Him and He was easily approached by the most lowly, and taking little children in His arms and blessing them belonged to His going from house to house healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, and speaking peace to the distressed. He spoke words of hope and comfort to weary mothers and met every form of human woe and affliction with unfailing tenderness and gentleness, laboring not for Himself but for others as the servant of all, whose meat and drink was to comfort and console others and to bring hope and strength to all with whom He came in contact. His method is the pattern ministers must learn, and His teaching was earnest and convicting and different from the traditions and dogmas of the rabbis, so that as men and women listened hope sprang up in their hearts. That same Spirit that dwelt in Christ is the source of knowledge and the secret of power for bringing from the storehouse of His word what will supply spiritual needs in carrying on His work.
Children can be brought to Him for blessing, for He still accepts and blesses little children now as He did then, and they are to learn the lessons of God's Word and be won by the simplicity of its truth, with all labor for them marked by the same simplicity that was in His own words. They are brought through thoughtful, engaging instruction in Bible truth, including Sabbath-school teaching that helps them understand and carry that truth into their homes, educating them in faith rather than relying on brief emotional excitement. They need special care at home and in school because Satan seeks to entice them toward destruction, while the Spirit works to draw them to God, and those who teach them are responsible for working earnestly to lead them to Christ. Instruction is to be given to children in every discourse, speaking directly to them so they know Jesus loves them, giving words of hope and comfort, for He receives children who come to Him and hears their simple prayers. This knowledge of His love in receiving and blessing them is to be carried to less fortunate little children, and should lead children to deny self and give missionary offerings to make Him known to others.
His kind acts of love in taking children in His arms and blessing them, healing the sick, and comforting the sorrowing drew hearts to Him and won attention, so that wherever He spoke of the higher life, in the synagogue, by the wayside, from a boat, or at feasts, hearers listened closely and His words brought spiritual life to souls. Doing such good opens hearts to receive testimony about the Saviour. Mothers came with sick and dying little ones in their arms, and He took the little ones so that disease fled at His touch, and the same Jesus still cures maladies, bringing hope to every heart and encouraging the invalid to hope for healing. Seeing His tender reception and love in receiving children tenderly, taking them in His arms and blessing them, awakened love for the Saviour in the young ruler and stirred his desire to become His disciple. That blessing of the children became the example he hoped to receive so that his unmet spiritual need might be satisfied.