Jesus Blesses Children
Mark 10:13-16
Jesus Welcomes Children
13 People brought their small children to Jesus, so that he could lay his hands ong them to bless them. But the followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him. 14 Jesus saw what happened. He did not like his followers telling the children not to come. So he said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdomh belongs to people who are like these little children. 15 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” 16 Then Jesus held the children in his arms. He laid his hands on them and blessed them.
g 10:13 lay hands on This act was a way of asking God to bless people in a special way—to heal them, to cause the Holy Spirit to come into them, or to give them power for a special work.
h 10:14 God’s kingdom The “reign” or “rule” of God over all humanity—a time of great blessing for those who submit to him by accepting Jesus as the Christ (appointed king), who represents God’s kingdom on earth and was the perfect example of submission to the will of God. When people give control of their lives to Jesus, they become a part of God’s kingdom and begin to enjoy the blessings he has promised his people from the beginning. (Note that in Matthew this term also translates the Greek word “kingdom” by itself or the phrase, “the kingdom of the heavens,” which was used by Jews as a way to avoid saying the divine name.)