(15)  And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  (16)  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.  (17)  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Luke 18:15-17

Explanation:

The attitude of the day toward children bares some difference to our own cultural context.  Children are more revered in our day than they were in Jesus’ day.  There was a high infant mortality rate compared to our day.  Children were “not adults” and of lesser importance.  We place a higher value on individual children than they did at the time of Christ.  So, when children were brought to Jesus for Him to bless them, the disciples saw it as a potential nuisance to the busy Jesus.  Yet, as Jesus often did, He proclaimed a different way of thinking than the thinking of his day.  He proclaimed that children were like those who were a part of the kingdom of God.  How can this be?  Well, he explained it in verse 17.  There is a child-like faith that is needed to enter the kingdom of God. Children tend to believe and receive what they have been taught.  Children tend to trust.  It takes trust in Christ to be saved.

Application:

We do not need to check our minds at the door to enter into Christianity.  The Bible gives all kinds of internal evidence to the validity of its claims, and as one may well expect, there is all kinds of external evidence to its’ claims as well.  Yet, no matter the evidence, we will not have every question we can come up with answered.  Every worldview is at its root a faith position.  At some point, the most skeptical person, if they are to be saved, must accept the truth of the person of Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation by faith to be a part of the kingdom of God and inherit eternal life.  We must believe that when we humble ourselves and ask for the mercy of God that He can hear us, will forgive us, and will receive us into everlasting habitations when we die!

Hebrews says this about faith:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

For our prayers to be receive we must reject any kind of religious pride, adopt godly humility, and express a childlike faith that God is there, He hears us, and will answer us when we pray to Him!

Response:

Take some time today to pray, believing that God will hear you!