Read Matthew 19:13–15
Questions from the Scripture text: Who were brought (Matthew 19:13)? To Whom? In order that He might do what to them? And do what for them? What did the disciples do? Who speaks in Matthew 19:14? About whom? What does He say to do with them? What does He say not to do with them? Why—what consists of them? What does Jesus do in Matthew 19:15? To whom? And then what?
What should we do with our children? Matthew 19:13–15 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we should bring our children to Christ, because they are His, and He is their hope.
Jesus loves children. Jesus loves marriage (Matthew 19:1-12). Now, we see how Jesus loved children. These parents knew that Jesus loved children. Perhaps they had heard of, or even seen, the incident in Matthew 18:1–5. It is likely that it was not an isolated incident. It seems that they not only knew that their children would be welcome, but they knew what Jesus would do with them: lay His hands on them and pray for them (Matthew 19:13). How wonderful it must have been to see and hear Him do so! And Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), because He is YHWH—the One Who was, and is, and is to come. In His human nature, He grows, but always in perfect expression of His holy character. He is still like this with children.
Jesus welcomes children. He even did so at the cost of publicly humiliating His disciples, who had just rebuked these parents. But He commanded, both positively (to leave the children to come to Him, Matthew 19:14a) and negatively (not to prevent them from coming to Him, verse 14b), that the children be brought to Him. This doubling is a verbal way of strongly emphasizing His desire that they be brought to Him.
Jesus identifies Himself with children. When the King says, “of such is the kingdom,” He is saying more than “you have to be like them in order to enter” (cf. Matthew 18:3). He is saying, “these are My subjects, and they have a right and privilege of coming to Me.” It would be an offense against both King and subjects to keep them away. Sadly, many parents do this. They absent themselves from the public worship, or fail to have family worship, or don’t give their children the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They may even do this because they are caving into the children’s preferences. That is no excuse. If you are a Christian parent, your children are Christ’s kingdom-subjects. They are members of the visible church.
It is also likely that Jesus is asserting that at least some children are converted—members not only of the visible church, His kingdom on earth, but even of the invisible church, His everlasting kingdom (cf. Matthew 13:24–50). The Spirit may regenerate at any age, and we ought not be surprised if He gives to the same children, that have learned to know and trust and love their parents, to come to know and trust and love the Lord Jesus. And this we should especially expect in a house where knowing and trusting and loving Him is a way of thinking and way of life—and where the constantly attend upon the means of the One Who says “they’re Mine,” in dependence upon the One Who says, “they’re Mine.”
Jesus Himself cares for our children. We bring children to Jesus not just because it’s a good thing that we do to them, or a good thing even for them to do, but because He does them good. Jesus lays His hands on them (Matthew 19:15). From the parents’ original desire (Matthew 19:13) it is implied that Jesus prays for them. The Mark parallel tells us that Jesus even took them up into His arms (cf. Mark 10:16). This is our hope: what He will do to them and for them. Just as this is our hope for us!
How are you bringing Jesus’s children to Him (whether in your own home, or in the church more broadly)? What impact does it have on how you think of them, or treat them, that Jesus identifies Himself with them? What is your hope for them? For yourself?
Sample prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us and our children, and welcoming us, and laying Your hands on us, and praying for us. We are so happy to be Yours, and to trust ourselves and our children to You. Keep us as Yours forever, in Christ, through Whom we ask it, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH559 “The Lord’s Prayer”
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