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People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

Mark's Gospel, Chapter 10 verse 13 and 14NIV

Bringing the Children.

• What kind of people are being brought to the Lord Jesus?
  Little children

• How do we know that these little children were very small?
  1. When Luke retells this in his gospel, he speaks of babies.
  2. The Lord Jesus took the children in His arms.

• Why did people bring their little children to the Lord Jesus?
  "To have Him touch them"

• Why should the Lord Jesus touch the children?
  They wanted our Lord to put his hands on their heads and pray over them and bless them.

The Disciples

• Who tried to prevent the children from coming to the Lord Jesus?
  The disciples

• What is a "disciple"?
  "Disciple" means student, one who follows the teachings of his Rabbi.

• Who are the disciples in this verse?
  The twelve Apostles.

• Why are they called "His Disciples"?
  Because they were chosen from all the Lord's followers to be with Him all the time.

• What exactly did they do?
  They rebuked those bringing the little children.

• What does "to rebuke" mean?
  To reprove, to accuse of doing something wrong.

• Why did the disciples rebuke them?
  Because they taught that such young children should not be allowed to take up our Lord's time.

• How do we know that that was their thinking?
  Because the Lord said: "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

The Rebuke

• What was the reaction of the Lord to his disciples?
  He was indignant.

• How did he show his displeasure?
  With the words: "Let the little children come to me, and do not ..."

• What do we learn from this?
  That the Lord wishes us to bring our very young children to Him.

• What then, should parents do with their children?
  They should teach their children to go to the Lord in prayer and bring them up in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus as an accessible friend.

• What should children learn from this verse?
  That friendship with and knowledge of the Lord is not just for adults. The Lord appreciate their attention.

The Kingdom.

• What does it mean: "for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these"?
  That the Kingdom of God consists of people who resemble the condition of little children.

• How does our Lord explains this further?
  Verse 15: "Anyone who does not receive the kingdom like a little child will never enter it."

• How do these words rebuke the thoughts of the disciples?
  They thought that only adults, serious people, could understand the Lord's message, the Lord Jesus says the opposite is true!

• What is meant by "the kingdom of God?"
  The sphere of blessing, where God is obeyed and He is King.

Text Nine

Adapted from:
"The one hundred texts of the society for Irish Church Missions."
T.C. Hammond, Dublin. 1939