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13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. ~ Matthew 19:13-15
Today, we continue our study of Matthew 19. In the previous chapter, the Lord Jesus taught the disciples about greatest in the kingdom of heaven. To illustrate, He took a child into His arms and He accentuated such characteristics as forgiveness and reconciliation. All of this came on the heels of the Lord Jesus confronting the disciples for trying to prevent someone from casting out demons whom they thought did not belong to their inner circle. The stage was set for the events of today's passage.
In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them."
This was a significant enough of an event that all the synoptic writers included it in their accounts of the gospels. But, the disciples thought it was an unnecessary intrusion upon the time and space of the Lord Jesus. As a result, the disciples issued a strong rebuke to the parents of the children. The rebuke of the disciples garnered the displeasure of the Lord. He was angry with them because a very important truth was being illustrated and they didn't recognize it. The most common means of healing by the Lord Jesus involved touch.
In Leviticus 16:21 we read, "Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man." In this verse connection with offering the annual sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin was highlighted. Priests ceremoniously laid their hands on the sacrifice in order to transfer God’s curse from the people to the sacrifice. In that circumstance, they symbolically made a transfer through touch.
The Lord Jesus regularly allowed children to come to Him and, when they did, He gave them His complete attention. The value of a person is truly seen in how he treats the lowest among us. Forgiveness reflects the depth of our connection with God. The Lord Jesus had taken several children in His arms, and He blessed them by praying for them. In doing so, He was granting the children the touch of God. He also offered His disciples the possibility of a deeper knowledge of His way of thinking. He demonstrated greatness in His kingdom as He cared for those who are most dependent among us. Embracing childlike faith means we embrace selflessness which is birthed in our lives out of our continual dependence upon God.
In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'"
The phrase, "for of such is the kingdom of heaven" is a huge part of what the Lord was giving to these disciples that day. If we are to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the type who walk in concert with His culture, we will be known as those who depend upon the Lord as a child depends upon his parents. Only God can convert an adult into child-likeness. In order to do so, our inability must be revealed to us, resulting in the humble reception of His free gift of forgiveness. We find it very difficult to receive grace, and, we hold tightly to the idea that we must contribute to the gift of our salvation. Even after we have been believers for quite some time, we have found it difficult to wrap our souls around the concept of God's unmerited favor. This explains why we struggle with the whole idea of faith and discipleship.
As a result, we struggle with the idea that God requests to orchestrate the events of our lives. We struggle going belly up with Him because it is a vulnerable position. And, due to our warped perspective, God must at times show us our total bankruptcy in order for us to get His way of thinking and living. Becoming like a child requires admission that we need help and that we are not what we project to others. Being childlike is coming to the place that we are more and more aware of our utter need for God's help and we are found crying out for it. Interestingly, it is then that we become more Christlike.
In v.15 of today's passage we read, "And He laid His hands on them and departed from there."
Here, the Lord Jesus brings our attention back to His touch. We all were made with a need to belong, and, appropriate physical contact is critical for our sense of well-being. Studies have shown the negative effects of a lack of safe touch, which range from developmental and emotional issues to an increased susceptibility to disease. The touch of the Lord Jesus was always of major importance for the one who had been touched by Him. His touch denoted His connection with the one whom He touched. Connection is the ultimate blessing here. Being connected to the Lord and His community fosters in us the type of stability that we all long for. It is life-giving and it enables us to live lives that are selfless because our lack is lessened within us. And when we lack less we are more unconscious of self.
