Matthew 19: 13-15 - The Little Children
F=FACTS of the passage
1. Who
A. Little children were being brought to Jesus probably by their mothers.
B. Christ's disciples - a least a few of them were trying to guard the Lord's privacy.
2. What
A. Mothers wanted Jesus to bless (lay hands on) their children and pray for them.
B. The disciples wanted to guard Jesus from people tiring him after a long day
C. Jesus wanted the children to come to Him.
3. When
A. This was happening after the Lord had:
-traveled to Judea,
-healed many people from the crowd
-dealt with the Pharisees trying to test Him
-talked with the disciples about marriage and singleness
4. Where
Jesus and disciples had left Galilee and gone to Judea on the other side of the Jordan where large crowds were following Him and mothers were now bringing Him their children.
5. Why was this happening?
A. The people were seeing God's anointing on Jesus. They could see Him healing and restoring and forgiving. Jesus was like a magnet to them and they wanted their children to experience His blessing.
B. Jesus loved the common people. He had come to earth for them (and for us) . The last thing He would have wanted was for someone to hinder that from happening.
C. The disciples were like well meaning body guards, trying to protect their master from overdoing it. They rebuked (a sharp reprimand) the parents.
D. It was probably at the end of the day and this was a last chance for parents to have Jesus touch their children. It says in the last line of the verse that "Jesus went on from there."
6. How did Jesus deal with....
A. His disciples - He corrected them by asking that they let the children come and don't hinder them.
B. The parents - they heard His words to the disciples and knew that it was OK to bring their children. Jesus did not have to speak to them directly.
C. The children - He didn't move on until He had placed His hands on the children. No doubt He stayed until each child had been touched and blessed.
A=Application to My Life - I skip this for the moment and do it at the end of the study.
C= Command to Obey
1.Let the little children come
2. Do not hinder them.
T= Thanksgiving
1. That Jesus has a heart for children of all ages!
Definitions:
Children are those that are young at heart, believing, trusting, loving. They don't try to be someone they are not. (unpretentious)
Kingdom of Heaven- Those people throughout the world that acknowledge God's rule and authority in their lives and live by it. We in turn are loved and cared for by our Father in Heaven. It is not a physical place.
S= Sin to Forsake
Keeping others from coming to Jesus as simple children. We can do this inadvertently when we tell someone they need to come to a certain place, or clean up first, or do it this way or that way. Coming to Jesus is simple. Children don't give a thought to anything. They just come.
A=Application to My Life
1. I am one of the children that needs Christ's touch and prayers. I don't need to fear coming to Him. He wants to have me come! He wants to bless me and pray for me.
2. As a child of God I am part of God's kingdom. I acknowledge His rule and authority in my life and He accepts me as His child. As Christ's disciple I should never hinder anyone from coming to Him for any reason. He loves all men and longs for all to come in whatever state they are in.