Jesus was insistent on child like faith

JESUS WAS INSISTENT ON CHILD-LIKE FAITH
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
“Verily I say unto you, Whosoevershall not receive
the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise
enter therein.” Luke 18:17.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Child Of Man And The Kingdom Of God
Luke 18:17
W. Clarkson Jesus Christ not only opened the gate of his kingdom to the little child as he opened
his arms to the little children whom the mothers of Judah brought to him; he also took the little
child as a type of the true disciple. He taught us that if we wish to enter his kingdom, our spirit
must be the child-spirit. Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as," etc. And what is
this spirit? It is that of -
I. DOCILITY, or readiness to accept what is told us. The ideal child is teachable; it will learn
because it is ready to receive; it has not found out the way of distrust and of rejection; it takes in
the light, the truth, which is offered and it grows thereby. Men of mature years and powers, who
have had all the advantages of Christian privileges, often stand without the kingdom because
they will not receive the truth that is offered them; their mind is preoccupied with theories,
systems, imaginations, of their own. They seem to know much; they believe they know much,
for they are familiar with some things of which many (perhaps most) are ignorant; they could
easily puzzle their neighbours by asking questions which these could not answer; they have a
number of facts and laws, and a much larger number of names at their command; they "seem to
be wise" (1 Corinthians 3:18). But their knowledge is very small in comparison with all that has
to be acquired; it is partly (largely) local, temporary, evanescent (1 Corinthians 13:8); it is
nothing to the wisdom of God. It becomes them, as it becomes us all, to feel toward God as our
little children feel towards us - to cherish a spirit of docility. How much more he has to tell us
than we have to teach them! How much greater is our ignorance in his sight than theirs is in ours!
He who will not accept the doctrine of the Divine Fatherhood; he who will not yield himself to a
Divine Saviour; he who will not pursue the path of holy service, hoping to find at the end of it a

heavenly home, - because this does not square with some favourite theories, or because it
transcends the range of some intellectual faculties, cannot enter the kingdom of truth, and
therefore shuts himself out of the kingdom of God. We shall fail to stand on the first rung of the
ladder that reaches heavenly wisdom unless we realize that we are all of us but very little
children in the presence of our Father, and unless with docile spirit we come to his feet and say,
"Lord, we are very ignorant; wilt thou teach us?"
"Lead us, O Father, in the path of truth;
Unhelped by thee, in error's maze we grope."
II. SIMPLICITY. The little child (of our thought and our affection) is simple, transparent,
sincere; he says just what is in his mind, does not pretend he is naughty when he believes himself
to be good - is real. This God demands of us - "truth in the inward parts," sincerity of spirit. It
does not further our cause with him to affect a piety that is not genuine; to simulate a penitence
of which our heart knows nothing; to use the language of humility while pride is reigning within.
He would rather we tell him just what we feel, just what we are, than adopt the most appropriate
confessions or petitions. We must be like the children of our home; we must mean what we say
when we draw nigh to him.
III. TRUSTFULNESS. Christianity is a religion which centres in a Person, in one Divine Being.
"He that believeth in me," "that abideth in me," - that is the prevailing note. Trust in Jesus Christ
as the Teacher, Saviour, Sovereign of the human soul, is the way of life. He who has that stands
within "the kingdom of God." Where shall we learn to trust? Is it not of the little child? As the
child flees for refuge to its parent's arms, confides itself and all it has or hopes for to its parent's
wisdom and love, so the human soul is invited to commit itself and all its everlasting interests to
the Almighty Saviour, to say with implicit, childlike confidence and self-surrender -
"Jesus. Refuge of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly." C.
Biblical Illustrator
Receive the kingdom of God as a little child.
Luke 18:17
Receiving the kingdom of God as a little child
C. H. Spurgeon.I. To begin with, let me deal with THE SECRET THOUGHT OF THE
DISCIPLES, expressed by their actions though not spoken in words.
1. And, first, it is pretty clear that the disciples thought the children were too insignificant for the
Lord's time to be taken up by them.

2. Again, I suppose that these grown-up apostles thought that the children's minds were too
trifling. Despise not children for trifling when the whole world is given to folly.
3. "Ay," say they, "but if we should let the children come to Christ, and if He should bless them,
they will soon forget it. No matter how loving His look and how spiritual His words, they will go
back to their play, and their weak memories will preserve no trace of it at all." This objection we
meet in the same manner as the others. Do not men forget?
4. Perhaps, too, they thought that children had not sufficient capacity.
5. To put the thought of the apostle into one or two words: they thought that the children must
not come to Christ because they were not like themselves — they were not men and women. The
child must not come to the Master because he is not like the man. How the blessed Saviour turns
the tables and says, "Say, not, the child may not come till he is like a man, but know that you
cannot come till you are like him. It is no difficulty in the child's way that he is not like you; the
difficulty is with you, that you are not like the child." Instead of the child needing to wait until he
grows up and becomes a man, it is the man who must grow down and become like a child.
II. Now we pass to our second head, namely, THE OPEN DECLARATION OF OUR LORD,
wherein He sets forth His mind upon this matter,
1. Looking at it carefully, we observe, first, that He tells the disciples that the gospel sets up a
kingdom. Was there ever a kingdom which had no children in it? How then could it grow?
2. Next, our Lord tells us that the way of entering the kingdom is by receiving. "Whosoever shall
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." We do not enter
into the kingdom of God by working out some deep problem and arriving at its solution; not by
fetching something out of our. selves, but by receiving a secret something into us. We come into
the kingdom by the kingdom's coming into us: it receives us by our receiving it. Now, if this
entrance into the kingdom depended upon something to be fetched out of the human mind by
study and deep thought, then very few children could over enter it; but it depends upon
something to be received, and therefore children may enter,
3. The next thing in the text is that if we receive this kingdom, and so enter into it, we must
receive it as children receive it.
III. THE GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT given by our Lord in the text.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
COMMENTARIES
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary18:15-17 None are too little, too young, to be brought
to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It
is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us,
and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive

his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our Father's gift.
Barnes' Notes on the BibleSee the notes at Matthew 19:13-30.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary16. But Jesus—"much displeased," says Mark
(Mr 10:14); and invaluable addition.
said—"Suffer the little children to come unto Me"—"AND FORBID THEM NOT," is the
important addition of Matthew (Mt 19:14) and Mark (Mr 10:14). What words are these
from the lips of Christ! The price of them is above rubies. But the reason assigned, "For of
such is the Kingdom of God," or "of heaven," as in Mt 19:14, completes the previous
information here conveyed; especially as interpreted by what immediately follows: "And
He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessedthem" (Mr 10:16). It
is surely not to be conceived that all our Lord meant was to inform us, that seeing grown
people must become childlike in order to be capable of the Kingdom of God, therefore they
should not hinder infants from coming to Him, and therefore He took up and blessedthe
infants themselves. Was it not just the grave mistake of the disciples that infants should not
be brought to Christ, because only grown people could profit by Him, which "much
displeased" our Lord? And though He took the irresistible opportunity of lowering their
pride of reason, by informing them that, in order to enter the Kingdom, "instead of the
children first becoming like them, they must themselves become like the children" [Richter
in Stier], this was but by the way; and, returning to the children themselves, He took them
up in His gracious arms, put His hands upon them and blessedthem, for no conceivable
reason but to show that they were thereby made capable, AS INFANTS, of the Kingdom of
God. And if so, then "Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Ac 10:47). But such application of the
baptismal water can have no warrant here, save where the infants have been previously
brought to Christ Himself for His benediction, and only as the sign and seal of that
benediction.
Matthew Poole's CommentarySee Poole on "Luke 18:15"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVerily I say unto you,...., Christ takes an occasion from
hence to teach his disciples humility, and guard them against pride and vanity:
whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God; the King Messiah, the doctrines of the
Gospel, and the ordinances of it, eventhe whole Gospel dispensation;
as a little child; without prejudice, pride, ambition, and vanity, with meekness, and
humility:
shall in no wise enter therein; a very unfit and improper person to be a professor of the
Gospel; or to be admitted to Gospel ordinances: or be a member of a Gospel church; or be
reckoned a subject of the Messiah's kingdom, which is of a spiritual nature; and as he has
not a meetness for, and a right unto the kingdom of glory, he shall never see it, and enjoy it.
Geneva Study Bible{6} Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of
God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
(6) Childlike innocence is an ornament of Christians.
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek TestamentHYPERLINK "/luke/18-17.htm"Luke 18:17, as in Mark

10:15. With this reflection Lk. ends, his interest being mainly in the didactic element,
humility the door into the kingdom.
Bengel's GnomenHYPERLINK "/luke/18-17.htm"Luke 18:17. Παιδίον, a little child) A
παιδίον, or little child, has already somewhat of the use of his reason, so as to be able to
receive, δέξασθαι (“the kingdom of God”); but the βρέφος, an infant, expresses evena
lower degree, which is suited to the touch of the Saviour, Luke 18:15-16. [The fellowship of
the kingdom of heaven consists for the most part of little children.—V. g.]
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 17. - Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child shall in no wise enter therein. Jesus here reminds men that if they hope to enter the
kingdom, it must be in the spirit of children, who never think of putting forward any claim
of merit or paying any price for kindness showed them. His late parable of the Pharisee
and publican was evidently in the Master's mind when he said this.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do
not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
• Permit the children to come to Me:Ge 47:10-14 21:4 De 29:11 31:12 2Ch 20:13 Jer
32:39 Ac 2:39 1Co 7:14
• for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.: Mt 18:3,4 1Co 14:20 1Pe 2:2
• Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Luke 18:15-17 Bringing Children to Jesus - Steven Cole
• Luke 18:15-17 Children and the Kingdom of God, Part 1 - John MacArthur
LET THE CHILDREN
COME TO JESUS
But (Term of contrast) - Luke contrasts Jesus' welcoming attitude with His disciples' hindering
attitude.

Jesus called for them - He called (summoned, invited) them to Himself. "Jesus’ attitude toward
children contrasted significantly with that of other religious leaders in Judaism. In most ancient
cultures children were regarded as a burden until they were physically strong enough to
contribute to the family." (ESV Study Bible)
Robert Stein - Jesus’ attitude toward children contrasts significantly with that of his day...In the
first century a child was an insignificant, weak member of society and so exemplified one who is
“least.” (Lk 9:48-note) (New American Commentary - Luke)
Permit the children to come to Me - The idea of the verb aphiemi in this context is "Leave
them alone!"
Permit (aorist active imperative)(863)(aphiemi from apo = prefix speaks of separation, putting
some distance between + hiemi = put in motion, send) conveys the basic idea of an action which
causes separation. This is the word used to forgive sins but in this context means to permit (Mk
5:19, Acts 5:38, Rev 2:20, Rev 11:9), meaning to allow (an activity - the bringing of children)
without opposing or prohibiting.
Give me a heart sympathetic and tender;
Jesus, like Thine, Jesus, like Thine,
Touched by the needs that are surging around me,
And filled with compassion divine.
-Anon.
Children (3813)(paidion diminutive of pais = child, youth) is a little child of either sex, ranging
from an infant (Mt 19:13, 14; Mk 10:13-15; Lk 18:16, 17, etc) to children who are older (Mt
11:16; Mt 14:21; 15:38; 18:2-5, etc) Paidion is used here in Luke 18:16-17 and also in Matthew
18:2-5 (see comments below, cf use of paidion in Mark 10:13-15) as a term of comparison, Jesus
making the point that we are to become like a little child (Mk 10:15 Lk 18:17),
Luke's uses of paidion -
Lk. 1:59; Lk. 1:66; Lk. 1:76; Lk. 1:80; Lk. 2:17; Lk. 2:27; Lk. 2:40; Lk. 7:32; Lk. 9:47;
Lk. 9:48; Lk. 11:7; Lk. 18:16; Lk. 18:17;
Do not hinder (present imperative with negative = stop an act in progress)((2967)(koluo) means
to hinder, forbid, prevent, restrain.
Luke's uses of kuluo -
Lk. 6:29; Lk. 9:49; Lk. 9:50; Lk. 11:52; Lk. 18:16; Lk. 23:2; Acts 8:36; Acts 10:47; Acts
11:17; Acts 16:6; Acts 24:23; Acts 27:43;
When Jesus said to let the children come,
He gave a clear example for us all:
That we should open hearts and arms to them
And tell them of the Savior's loving call.
—Hess
For (gar) is an important term of explanation. What is Jesus explaining? In context He is
explaining how to enter the Kingdom of God. Recall that Jesus had explained to Nicodemus that
"unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3) adding that "You must
(necessity) be born again." (John 3:7). Therefore in this context the phrase Kingdom of God is
referring to the "sphere of salvation" (MacArthur).

THE CHILDLIKE ARE THOSE
WHO ENTER THE KINGDOM
Leon Morris - Jesus went on to point out that it is the childlike to whom the kingdom of God
belongs (not those proud of their virtues like the Pharisee, 11f.) What matters is whole-hearted
trust like that of a child. The negative is also true. Unless one receives the kingdom like a child
one will never enter it. Children show us the way in their utter dependence, their unworldliness,
their openness, the completeness of their trust. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries – Luke)
D A Carson says "childlike qualities such as trust, openness, and the absence of holier-than-thou
attitudes"
POSB - A child is usually humble and forgiving. He is not interested in prominence, fame,
power, wealth, or position. He does not push himself forward."
Wuest - Our Lord here holds up a little child as a model of trusting, simple, and loving
obedience, for adults to emulate as the way to appropriate the salvation God offers the believing
sinner."
ESV Study Bible - Only those who humble themselves like children shall enter the kingdom.
MacArthur - No one better illustrates the reality that only the lowly who have achieved nothing
of merit enter the kingdom than infants. No one has achieved less morally and religiously than
them; no one has less knowledge of or obedience to the law, or less devotion to God. Thus,
infants perfectly illustrate the principle that God saves sinners apart from their achievements.
While the proud and self-righteous are excluded from the kingdom, infants—and those who
approach the kingdom like infants—are included.
D. L. Moody once returned from a meeting and reported two and a half conversions. “Two
adults and a child, I suppose?” asked his host. “No,” said Moody, “two children and an adult.
The children gave their whole lives. The adult had only half of his left to give.” (from Kent
Hughes in Preaching the Word - Luke)
Wiersbe - Jesus wants us to be childlike but not childish. An unspoiled child illustrates humility,
faith, and dependence. A child has a sense of wonder that makes life exciting. The only way to
enter God’s kingdom is to become like a child and be born again (John 3:3-7).
David Gooding - A little child takes its food, its parents’ love and protection, because they are
given, without beginning to think of whether it deserves them or whether it is important enough
to merit such attention. So must we all receive God’s kingdom and enter into it (Lk 18:17).
(According to Luke)
Bruce Larson - The third quality Jesus recommends here is childlikeness. This does not mean
childishness, or even innocence. Children are not more virtuous than adults. They’re as selfish
and self-centered as the rest of us. But they are usually guileless and uncomplicated. (Preacher's
Commentary)
Kent Hughes makes the point that "He did not say that the kingdom belongs to the children he
was holding, but to “such as these”—those who are like the little ones. What is the quality of
being of children, and especially those characterized as “babies” in the opening line of this
passage? What is the ontological distinctive of a newborn? Helplessness! Jesus has in mind here
the objective state that every child who has ever lived (regardless of race, culture, or
background) has experienced—namely, helpless dependence.....Every child born into the world

is absolutely, completely, totally, actually helpless. And so it is with every child who is born into
the kingdom of God. Children of the kingdom enter it helpless. If Billy Graham enters the
kingdom, it will not be because he has personally preached to more people than any man in
history....When Billy Graham enters the kingdom, it will be because he came to Christ as a
helpless child. (Preaching the Word - Luke)
Rock of Ages
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
(Play related song - To the Cross I Cling)
The kingdom of God belongs to such as these - Imagine the shock of the disciples who had just
tried to discourage the coming of children to Jesus! Jesus has a way of turning our "adult
thinking," our worldly thinking, upside down! He goes on in the next verse to explain the basis
for this statement telling them whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will
not enter it at all. One point this makes that many believers have never heard is that a child is
more likely to express faith than a skeptical adult. Jesus is saying we (including skeptical adults)
are to follow their pattern and trust in the promises of God, in this context, the promise of
entrance into the Kingdom of God, the entrance into eternal life now, in the Millennium and
forever after in the New Heaven and New Earth. Jesus' taking the children into His arms and
blessing them was a "metaphor" if you will, showing His acceptance of a childlike attitude
toward Him. Have you entered the Kingdom of God like a little child or are you still resisting the
Holy Spirit's wooing as you debate the supposed discrepancies of the Bible, etc? You must
become like a little child. Is your adult "logic" hindering you from coming to Jesus that He might
lay His hands on you and bless you with eternal life in the Kingdom of God?
Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and
pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do
not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as
these.” 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there. (Mt 19:13-15)
The kingdom of God belongs to such as these - This is actually a statement of comparison but
this translation makes it difficult to recognize as such. Now read the excellent paraphrase in the
New Living Translation to see if this helps see the comparison. The NLT says "the Kingdom of
God belongs to those who are like these children." The key phrase is "those who are like these
children." So Jesus is comparing the children to those who gain entrance into the Kingdom of
God. As noted above, Jesus is not speaking primarily of the external, earthly, physical Kingdom
of God, but of the internal, heavenly, spiritual Kingdom of God (as discussed more below). He is
telling the disciples how one can enter to and possess the Kingdom of God, and more
specifically how they can be saved and receive eternal life.
Robert Stein sums this up commenting that "Jesus did not say that God’s kingdom belongs “to
these” but “to such as these.” Jesus was not saying that all children, simply because they are
children, have received God’s kingdom (Luke 18:17). Jesus was not attributing to children an
innate goodness. Rather, he appealed to some quality possessed by little children that is essential
for entering God’s kingdom. Unfortunately neither Jesus nor the Gospel writers elucidated

exactly what this quality is. Some suggestions are (1) the humility little children possess because
they lack anything to boast of and can make no claim on God (cf. Lk 18:9–14; Matt 18:4), (2) a
simple faith free from doubt (Luke 17:5–6), and (3) a lack of attachment to possessions (Lk
18:18–30). In light of the preceding passage (Lk 18:9–14) and Matthew’s specific application of
“childlikeness” to humility (Matt 18:4), the first suggestion seems best." (New American
Commentary)
NET Note on Kingdom of God - The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in
which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20-note; Lk 11:20-note;
Lk 17:20–21-note.
NET Note on belongs to such as these - Children are a picture of those whose simple trust
illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even
those whom others regard as insignificant.
The Kingdom of God - This is a major theme of Luke's Gospel (see 32 uses below in 31
verses). The disciples were having a difficult time comprehending what Jesus was teaching about
the Kingdom of God with Israel as the lead nation. They were still expecting Him to bring in the
earthly Kingdom of God. In fact, even after His resurrection and their "40 day seminar" with
Jesus in which He spoke of "the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3-note), they
still did not completely understand the nature of the Kingdom as shown by their question in Acts
1:6-note "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” They were still
thinking primarily in terms of an earthly kingdom, a hope that all Jews held dear, and it is
notable that Jesus did not correct their belief that indeed one day there would be a literal earthly
Kingdom of God and that Israel would be the head of the nations (e.g., Zechariah 8:23). Jesus
had been teaching them not so much about the future external aspect of the Kingdom of God, but
about the present, internal aspect of the Kingdom of God, the presence of the Kingdom in a heart
that had received and believed in Him as the Messiah and Redeemer. And it is this internal,
spiritual Kingdom which Jesus is illustrating by using the comparison with a child. In the next
verse (Lk 18:17), Jesus explains the comparison between a child and entrance into the Kingdom
of God. We will also look at Jesus' use of a child in Matthew 18:1-5 to help understand what
Jesus is trying to teach His disciples.
Uses of Kingdom of God by Luke - 32x in 31v (out of a total of 66x in 65v in the entire NT):
Lk. 4:43; Lk. 6:20; Lk. 7:28; Lk. 8:1; Lk. 8:10; Lk. 9:2; Lk. 9:11; Lk. 9:27; Lk. 9:60; Lk.
9:62; Lk. 10:9; Lk. 10:11; Lk. 11:20; Lk. 13:18; Lk. 13:20; Lk. 13:28; Lk. 13:29; Lk.
14:15; Lk. 16:16; Lk. 17:20; Lk. 17:21; Lk. 18:16; Lk. 18:17; Lk. 18:24; Lk. 18:25; Lk.
18:29; Lk. 19:11; Lk. 21:31; Lk. 22:16; Lk. 22:18; Lk. 23:51; Acts 1:3; Acts 8:12; Acts
14:22; Acts 19:8; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31;
Kent Hughes comments on the parallel passage in Mark 10:13-15 - In saying, “for the kingdom
of God belongs to such as these,” He affirms their full spirituality. They are the hearts He takes
to himself! ...Christ affirms and proclaims the spiritual capacity of children. If there ever was a
text relevant to child evangelism, this is it. Children can authentically come to Christ early
on!...Dr. Jim Slack, head of demographics for the Southern Baptist Foreign Missionary Society,
recently shared the results of a Gallup Survey: nineteen out of twenty people who became
Christians did so before the age of twenty-five. At age twenty-five, one in 10,000 will become
believers; at thirty-five, one in 50,000; at forty-five, one in 200,000; at fifty-five, one in 300,000;
at seventy-five, one in 700,000....How are we to understand and apply this? For starters, coming

as a “little child” does not infer innocence. Any two-year-old dispels such a notion! Neither does
“like a little child” suggest the wondrous subjective states we often find in children such as
trustfulness, receptivity, simplicity, or wonder, beautiful as these are. What Jesus has in mind
here is an objective state which every child who has ever lived, regardless of race, culture, or
background, has experienced—helpless dependence. Every single child in the world is
absolutely, completely, totally, objectively, subjectively, existentially helpless! And so it is with
every child who is born into the Kingdom of God. Children of the Kingdom enter it helpless,
ones for whom everything must be done.....There is no other fundamental meaning for Mk 10:15.
Have you come to Christ like this? Is it his grace plus your nothingness?...No one will receive
the Kingdom of God without this helpless dependence and humility. (Preaching the Word -
Mark)
Take The Time
Read: Matthew 9:18-26
Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me. —Mark 9:37
A legend is told about a rabbi from a small Jewish town. The people had gathered in the
synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), but when the time came for the most
important service of the Jewish year to begin, the rabbi was nowhere to be found. During the
delay, a young mother went home to check on her little daughter, whom she had left sleeping. To
her surprise, she saw the rabbi sitting quietly in a chair, holding the child in his arms. He had
been walking by her home on the way to the synagogue when he heard the infant crying and
stopped to help. He held the little one until she fell asleep.
There’s a lesson for us in this rabbi’s example and in Jesus’ love for people (Mt. 9:18-26). In our
hectic and busy lives, we tend to get so caught up with our own concerns that we lose our sense
of compassion for others. We must take time to observe and respond to individuals—whether
they are little children, parents, or older believers.
Somewhere amid all the demands on you as a servant of Jesus Christ, take the time to hold
the hand of an aging believer, to comfort a tired mother, or to cradle a child until she
sleeps.
How good to be an instrument
Of grace that He can use
At any time, in any place,
However He may choose! —Guirey
Great occasions for service come seldom—
little ones surround us daily.
By David C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. —
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Like a Little Child
Read: Mark 10:13–16
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. Mark 10:14

The little girl moved joyfully and gracefully to the music of praise. She was the only one in the
aisle but that didn’t keep her from spinning and waving her arms and lifting her feet to the music.
Her mother, a smile on her lips, didn’t try to stop her.
My heart lifted as I watched, and I longed to join her—but didn’t. I’d long ago lost the
unselfconscious expression of joy and wonder of my childhood. Even though we are meant to
grow and mature and put childish ways behind us, we were never meant to lose the joy and
wonder, especially in our relationship with God.
When Jesus lived on Earth, He welcomed little children to Him and often referred to them in His
teaching (Matthew 11:25; 18:3; 21:16). On one occasion, He rebuked His disciples for
attempting to keep parents from bringing their children to Him for a blessing, saying, “Let the
little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as
these” (Mark 10:14). Jesus was referring to the childlike characteristics that ready us to receive
Christ—joy and wonder, but also simplicity, dependence, trust, and humility.
Childlike wonder and joy (and more) open our hearts to be more receptive to Him. He is waiting
for us to run into His arms.
Abba (Daddy), Father, help us to be more childlike in our relationship with You. We long to be
filled with wonder at all You have done.
Faith shines brightest in a childlike heart.
By Alyson Kieda
INSIGHT The wonder of what we see in Mark 10:13–16 becomes more stunning when we
understand the connection with what follows in Mark’s gospel. One phrase that links the two
sections is “the kingdom of God”—the rule of God in our hearts (see Mark 10:14–15). God’s
kingdom (which includes eternal life) is the possession of those who are childlike in their
dependence on God. They are the ones who are welcomed by Jesus (v. 16).
On the other hand, we see a full-grown man running unhindered to Jesus, but he ends up leaving
Him “because he had great wealth” (v. 22). Three times the phrase “the kingdom of God” is used
in verses 17–27. “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (v. 23); “Children,
how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (vv. 24–25, emphasis added).
Simple, childlike trust in Jesus is better than “adultlike” independence and trust in lesser things.
How can you be more like a child in the presence of Jesus? Arthur Jackson (Our Daily Bread,
Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Hugs Of The Heart
Read: Mark 10:13-16
He took them up in His arms . . . and blessed them. —Mark 10:16
While Jesus lived on this earth, He took little children in His arms and blessed them (Mk. 10:16).
And He is still in the child-embracing ministry today.
My friend told me about a touching conversation between her two grandchildren. Five-year-old
Matthew said to Sarah, age 3, “I talk to Jesus in my head!” She responded, “I don’t—I just
cuddle with Him!”

Many other children of God, much older ones, have experienced His unseen everlasting arms
around them and beneath them. Brother Lawrence, the 17th-century monk known for sensing the
presence of God amid the pots and pans of the monastery’s kitchen, spoke of being “known of
God and extremely caressed by Him.” And Hudson Taylor, the pioneer missionary to China,
scrawled this note as he neared the end of his life: “I am so weak that I cannot work; I cannot
read my Bible; I cannot even pray. I can only lie still in God’s arms like a child, and trust.”
God wants us to nestle close to Him in childlike trust, whether young or old, strong or weak. In
response, through His indwelling Spirit, He draws us to Himself to comfort and to bless. Have
you and God had a hug of the heart today?
The Lord took children in His arms
To bless them and to show
That if we come in childlike faith
His presence we will know. —Sper
Don't wrestle—just nestle. —Corrie ten Boom
By Joanie Yoder (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
Gentle Jesus
Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom
of heaven. —Matthew 18:3
Charles Wesley (1707–1788) was a Methodist evangelist who wrote more than 9,000 hymns and
sacred poems. Some, like “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” are great, soaring hymns of
praise. But his poem “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild,” first published in 1742, is a child’s quiet
prayer that captures the essence of how all of us should seek the Lord in sincere, simple faith.
Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am;
Make me, Savior, what Thou art,
Live Thyself within my heart.
When some followers of Jesus were jockeying for position in His kingdom, the Lord “called a
little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’”
(Matt. 18:2-3).
Not many children seek position or power. Instead, they want acceptance and security. They
cling to the adults who love and care for them. Jesus never turned children away.
The last stanza of Wesley’s poem shows a childlike desire to be just like Jesus: “I shall then
show forth Thy praise / Serve Thee all my happy days; / Then the world shall always see / Christ,
the holy Child, in me.”
Father, give me the faith of a little child. I want
to know Your love and care, and to rest in Your

embrace. Grant my desire to be like You in all
my ways that I might live for Your honor.
By David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. —
Luke 18:17 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it at all."
Wuest - Assuredly, I am saying to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God in
the same manner as a little child does, shall absolutely not enter it.
• Ps 131:1,2 Mk 10:15 1Pe 1:14
• Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
• Luke 18:15-17 Bringing Children to Jesus - Steven Cole
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ENTERED
LIKE A CHILD
Truly I say (I solemnly declare) (In Greek two words - amen lego) - As discussed below, this
phrase is used repeatedly by Jesus to introduce a solemn teaching. In this case it is "solemn"
because it has to do with how one is saved.
Truly (281)(amen - OT = 0543 - amen] when used with lego (I say) as in this passage
emphasizes that what is being said is a solemn declaration of what is true. This phrase "truly I
say" is used only by Jesus and always conveys the sense of "I assure you" or "I solemnly tell
you."
This combination of truly I say (sometimes "truly, truly I say") is in fact a KEY PHRASE in the
Gospels where it is used about 70 times and as noted is always spoken by Jesus. The point is that
Jesus made many "solemn statements." Of course, in one sense everything Jesus said was
"solemn," (characterized or marked by seriousness or sincerity) but some statements were more
"solemn" than others, such as in the present context that deals with the crucial topic of salvation.
Robert Stein adds "This expression is found singularly or doubly over seventy times in the
Gospels and only on Jesus’ lips. It was used traditionally in Judaism at the end of a statement
in order to confirm what had been said, but Jesus used it to introduce and stress what follows."
(NAC-Luke)
Matt. 5:26; Matt. 6:2; Matt. 6:5; Matt. 6:16; Matt. 8:10; Matt. 10:15; Matt. 10:42; Matt.
11:11; Matt. 16:28; Matt. 18:3; Matt. 18:13; Matt. 18:18; Matt. 18:19; Matt. 19:23; Matt.
19:28; Matt. 21:21; Matt. 21:31; Matt. 23:36; Matt. 24:2; Matt. 24:34; Matt. 24:47; Matt.
25:12; Matt. 25:40; Matt. 25:45; Matt. 26:13; Matt. 26:21; Matt. 26:34; Mk. 3:28; Mk.
8:12; Mk. 9:1; Mk. 9:41; Mk. 10:15; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 11:23; Mk. 12:43; Mk. 13:30; Mk.
14:18; Mk. 14:25; Mk. 14:30; Lk. 4:24; Lk. 12:37; Lk. 18:17; Lk. 18:29; Lk. 21:32; Jn.
1:51; Jn. 3:3; Jn. 3:5; Jn. 3:11; Jn. 5:19; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:25; Jn. 6:26; Jn. 6:32; Jn. 6:47; Jn.
6:53; Jn. 8:34; Jn. 8:51; Jn. 8:58; Jn. 10:1; Jn. 10:7; Jn. 12:24; Jn. 13:16; Jn. 13:20; Jn.
13:21; Jn. 13:38; Jn. 14:12; Jn. 16:20; Jn. 16:23; Jn. 21:18

StevenCole - When Jesus speaks here about receiving the kingdom of God like a child, He is
not referring to the innocence of children. Children were not born in innocence and they are not
without sin, even in their early years. Besides, innocence is not the qualification for entering
God’s kingdom. If it were, none of us could qualify. Children are born in sin and they need
Christ as their Savior as much as any adult does.
A A Trites on like a child - In their openness, simplicity, and faith, children are veritable
pictures of what it means to become children of God. They served, in fact, as a paradigm of faith
and receptivity to God. The tragedy is when one refuses to come to God on such humble terms:
“Anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Lk
18:17).(Cornerstone Bible Commentary)
Play this powerful hymn (adds a refrain to Bonar's original).
Added Refrain:
These guilty hands are raised
Filthy rags are all I bring
And I have to hide beneath Thy wing.
These holy hands are raised
Washed in the fountain of Your grace
And now I wear Your righteousness.
Not what these hands have done
—HORATIUS BONAR, 1861
(Another vocal version)
Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awe-full load.
Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
No other work save Thine,
No meaner blood will do;
No strength save that which is divine,
Can bear me safely through.
Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;

Thy power alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfaltering lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Spurgeon said "The kingdom of God consists of child-like spirits, persons like these children.
Instead of needing to grow bigger in order to be fit to be Christians, we need to grow smaller. It
is not the supposed wisdom of manhood, but the simplicity of childhood, that will fit us for the
reception of divine truth. Alas! we are often too much like men, if we were more like children,
we should receive the kingdom of God far more readily." In other words Spurgeon is saying we
must not think a child cannot come to God until he is like a man, but a man cannot come until he
is like a child. We must grow down until we become like a child.
RECEIVING THE KINGDOM OF GOD
EQUATES WITH ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD
NET Note on like a child - The point of the comparison receive the kingdom of God like a
child has more to do with a child's trusting spirit and willingness to be dependent and receive
from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.
Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like (in the same manner as) a child will not
enter it at all - In other words, such a person does not believe in Jesus and is not born again. As
Jesus explains in John 3:3 "Truly, truly, I say (Amen, Amen, Lego) to you, unless one is born
again he cannot see the Kingdom of God". John 1:12-note helps us see the relationship between
receiving and believing, John writing that "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right
to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." So clearly receiving Jesus
equates with belief in Jesus and is described as entering the Kingdom of God here and in the
parallel passages in Mt 18:3 and Mark 10:15.
It is interesting that Luke and Mark (Mk 10:15) use the less common phrase receive the
Kingdom of God. More often the expression is to enter the Kingdom of God. Both phrases
refer to salvation by grace through faith. Below are the passages that use the more common word
"enter" (including Matthew's uses with "Kingdom of Heaven" which is synonymous with
"Kingdom of God")...
Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matthew 18:3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like
children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:23-24 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off
the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow
those who are entering to go in.
Mark 9:47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter
the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
Mark 10:23-25 And Jesus, looking around, *said to His disciples, “How hard it will be
for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed
at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to
enter the kingdom of God! 25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Luke 18:24-25 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are
wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the
faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Compare Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will
seek to enter and will not be able.
DOUBLE NEGATIVE =
EMPHATIC NEGATION!
It is important to note that the verb "enter" in the phrase "will not enter" is preceded by not one,
but two negative particles, this double negative (ou me - it makes me think "Oh My!") is the
strongest way in Greek to negate (nullify, make void) the word or phrase that follows, in this
case the word "enter." So one might paraphrase Jesus' words by saying "unless one receives the
Kingdom of God like a child they absolutely will not enter into the Kingdom of God." This is a
clear and strong statement by Jesus. In a sense it is a conditional statement, the condition being
that one must be like a child (as discussed above) and the result being entrance into the Kingdom
of God. Therefore, it behooves the wise reader to seek to understand what Jesus means when He
says one must be "like a child." We will discuss what this means below, comparing Scripture
with Scripture (specifically Matthew 18) to help illuminate Jesus' sobering, solemn declaration.
Make me, O Lord, a child again,
So tender, frail, and small,
In self possessing nothing, and
In Thee possessing all.
O Savior, make me small once more,
That downward I may grow,
And in this heart of mine restore
The faith of long ago.
With Thee may I be crucified—
No longer I that lives—

O Savior, crush my sinful pride
By grace which pardon gives.
Make me, O Lord, a child again,
Obedient to Thy call,
In self possessing nothing, and
In Thee possessing all.
Hendriksen - The meaning (of will note enter) is the only possible way to enter the kingdom is
by receiving it readily and trustfully as a child accepts a gift. A child is not too proud to accept a
gift!
Pritchard - That must have shocked those big-shot disciples. Ironically, at that moment the little
children were closer to Jesus than the disciples who tried to keep them away.
StevenCole - I must disagree with Calvin (and many other usually fine expositors) who use this
text to argue for infant baptism. There is not a drop of water in the passage. As Spurgeon puts it,
“I might as well prove vaccination from the text” as infant baptism (“Children Brought to Christ,
Not to the Font,” Spurgeon’s Sermons [Baker], 8:40-41). According to the New Testament,
baptism follows saving faith in Christ as a public testimony of that faith. I believe that infant
baptism is potentially damaging, because it gives a false sense of assurance to people who need
to repent and believe in Christ. They think that since they were baptized, they will go to heaven,
which is patently false. Personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that saves.
Robert Stein echoes Cole writing "Although this passage later became a proof-text for infant
baptism (Jesus’ blessing the children has even been called a “baptism without water”), in the
context of Jesus’ ministry these words do not deal with the issue of infant baptism. It is
furthermore difficult to believe that Luke understood this passage as a reference to children’s
baptism because for him baptism was intimately associated with repentance (cf. Lk 3:8; Acts
2:38) and faith (Acts 8:12–13; 16:31–33)." (New American Commentary - Luke).
Have you ever "sung" the hymn Gentle Jesus by Charles Wesley? I mean have you sung it as a
child and come to Him as a little child to receive by faith His precious gift of eternal life? If not,
may the Spirit of Jesus enable you today to sing this song from your heart, a heart filled with
childlike faith and trust. Amen....
Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child.
Pity my simplicity.
Suffer me to come to Thee.
Lamb of God, I look to Thee.
Thou shal my example be.
Thou art gentle, meek and mild;
Thou wast once a little child.
Fain I would be as Thou art;
Give me Thine obedient heart.
Thou art pitiful and kind.
Let me have Thy loving mind.

Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am;
Make me, Savior, what Thou art,
Live Thyself within my heart.
Receive (1209) (dechomai = middle voice = reflexive sense = "receive to oneself") means to to
receive something offered or transmitted by another (Luke 2:28). To take something into one's
hand and so to grasp (Luke 2:28, 22:17). To be receptive to someone (Mt 10:14, 40). To take a
favorable attitude toward something (Mt 11:14). The idea of this word is akin to our modern
phrase "put the welcome mat out" so it speaks of a "welcome" reception. In the present passage
Jesus uses dechomai to describe the way a humble believer with childlike trust enters into the
Kingdom of God.
MATTHEW 18 AND
LITTLE CHILDREN
In a similar declaration in Matthew 18 Jesus used a child to illustrate how one can enter the
Kingdom of Heaven (God). Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18 helps us understand Jesus' use of a
child to illustrate how one is saved.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?” (PRIDE) 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and
said, “Truly I say ("AMEN LEGO" - INTRODUCING A SOLEMN DECLARATION
OF TRUTH) to you, unless you are converted (strepho = turn, to be changed inwardly)
and become like children, you will not (Strong double negative = ou me = absolutely will
not) enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (GOD). 5 “And whoever receives (dechomai) one
such child in My name receives (dechomai) Me. 6 but whoever causes one of these little
ones who believe in Me (not speaking of literal children but true believers who are
"children of God" - 1 Jn 3:1) to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy
millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.(Matthew
18:1-6)
Let's analyze Jesus' words in Matthew 18 -- Why would the disciples ask about who is greatest in
the Kingdom? Clearly, although Jesus had taught extensively about the Kingdom, the disciples
were still expecting Him to set up His Messianic Kingdom. And they expected (or were hoping)
He would name one of them as greatest in the Kingdom. Similarly, Jesus had taught repeatedly
on the need for humility but they did not "get it." Their question about who is greatest clearly
reflected their pride. So Jesus proceeds to illustrate the principles about the Kingdom and about
pride by setting a child before them and opening His remarks with the solemn phrase Truly I
say. This must have gotten their attention! Don't you imagine they were a little embarrassed. And
so Jesus uses the child to illustrate to the disciples how one is "converted" (cf His use of the
phrase "born again" with Nicodemus Jn 3:3).
MacArthur writes that unless you are converted and become like children you will not enter
the kingdom of heaven "is an absolute and far-reaching requirement of ultimate importance.
Entrance into Christ's kingdom demands childlikeness. There is no other way to receive the
grace of salvation than as a child....Our Lord is talking directly about entering God's kingdom by
faith, through salvation that will result in future millennial blessing and eternal glory. The phrase
"enter the kingdom of heaven" is used three times in the book of Matthew (see also Mt 7:21;

Mt 19:23-24) and in each case refers to personal salvation. It is the same experience as entering
into life (Mt 18:8) and entering into the joy of the Lord (Mt 25:21)....The purpose of the gospel is
to show men how they may enter the kingdom and become its citizens, moving from the
kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Col. 1:13-note)....The phrase are
converted translates an aorist passive of strepho, which elsewhere in the New Testament is
always translated with an idea of "turning" or "turning around." It means to make an about face
and go in the opposite direction....To be converted requires people to become like children,
Jesus explained. A little child is simple, dependent, helpless, unaffected, unpretentious,
unambitious. Children are not sinless or naturally unselfish, and they display their fallen nature
from the earliest age. But they are nevertheless naive and unassuming, trusting of others and
without ambition for grandeur and greatness. (MacArthur NT Commentary - Matthew)
In Mark 9 below (a parallel to Matthew 18) Jesus uses this same verb (dechomai) four times in
one verse again using a child to illustrate in essence how one is saved. When one receives Jesus,
God the Son, He also receives God the Father. And as John 1:12 above teaches, receiving Jesus
and His Father is synonymous with believing in Him, in His Name. As Peter said (see context
Acts 4:10-11) "there is salvation in no one else (OTHER THAN JESUS = John 14:6); for there is
no other name (BUT JESUS) under heaven that has been given among men by which we must
(SPEAKS OF NECESSITY) be saved.” (Acts 4:12-note)
They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them,
“What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had
discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. (PRIDE AS IN Mt 18:1
ABOVE) 35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and *said to them, “If anyone wants to be
first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Taking a child, He set him before them,
and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives (dechomai -
welcomes) one child like this in My name receives (dechomai - welcomes) Me; and
whoever receives (dechomai) Me does not receive (dechomai) Me, but Him who sent
Me.” (Mk 9:33-37)
StevenCole - I read about a missionary to Africa back in the 1950’s who was appalled when she
saw the native children at recess not run and play, but rather hunt mice and grasshoppers. They
would impale them on a stick and roast and eat them. When she inquired as to why the children
were so hungry, she found out that in that culture, the men ate their fill first, followed by the
women. If anything was left, the children could eat. The children were considered the least
important in that society. How unlike Jesus! He considered children important enough to give
them His time and individual blessing. He wants us to learn from children what it means to
believe in Him. He wants us to lead children to faith in Him. I pray that if you have never done
so, you will come in simple faith to Jesus as your Savior. I pray that many of you will commit
yourselves to the important task of leading children to Christ. You will be doing a work that our
Savior Himself counted important.
Bring Them To Jesus
Read: Luke 18:15-17
Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. —
Mark 10:14

The Scripture reading from Luke 18 about children seemed unusual at the memorial service for
David Holquist. After all, he was 77 when he died.
Yet the pastor said the verses fit David, a long-time college professor, perfectly. Part of his
legacy was that he took time for children—his own and others’. He made balloon animals and
puppets, and helped in a puppet ministry at church. When planning worship services with others,
he frequently asked, “What about the children?” He was concerned about what would help the
children—not just the adults—to worship God.
Luke 18 shows us the concern Jesus had for children. When people brought little ones to Him,
the disciples wanted to protect Jesus, a busy man, from the bothersome children. But it seems
that Jesus was not at all bothered by them. Just the opposite. The Bible says that Jesus was
“greatly displeased” at the disciples, and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not
forbid them” (v.16). Mark adds that Jesus took them in His arms and blessed them (10:14-16).
Let’s examine our own attitude about children and then follow the example of David Holquist.
Find some ways to help them come to Jesus.
To those who are teaching the gospel,
With love in their hearts for its truth,
Comes the gentle reminder from heaven,
“Forget not the children and youth.”
—Anon.
God has great concern for little children.
By Anne Cetas (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted
Like a Little Child
Read: Matthew 18:1–5; 19:13–14
Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3
One evening many years ago, after saying a goodnight prayer with our two-year-old daughter,
my wife was surprised by a question. “Mommy, where is Jesus?”
Luann replied, “Jesus is in heaven and He’s everywhere, right here with us. And He can be in
your heart if you ask Him to come in.”
Our faith in Jesus is to be like that of a trusting child.
“I want Jesus to be in my heart.”
“One of these days you can ask Him.”
“I want to ask Him to be in my heart now.”
So our little girl said, “Jesus, please come into my heart and be with me.” And that started her
faith journey with Him.
When Jesus’s disciples asked Him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, He called a
little child to come and join them (Matthew 18:1–2). “Unless you change and become like little

children,” Jesus said, “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. . . . And whoever welcomes
one such child in my name welcomes me” (vv. 3–5).
Through the eyes of Jesus we can see a trusting child as our example of faith. And we are told to
welcome all who open their hearts to Him. “Let the little children come to me,” Jesus said, “and
do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (19:14).
Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us to follow You with the confident faith of a child.
Help the children in your life come to know Jesus. Introduce them to Our Daily Bread for Kids at
ourdailybreadforkids.org.
Our faith in Jesus is to be like that of a trusting child.
By David C. McCasland | (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. —
Faith Of A Child
One Sunday I heard Mike talk about his relationship with his two fathers—the one who raised
him as a child, and his Father in heaven.
First he described his childhood trust toward his earthly father as “simple and uncomplicated.”
He expected his dad to fix broken things and to give advice. He dreaded displeasing him,
however, because he often forgot that his father’s love and forgiveness always followed.
Mike continued, “Some years ago I made a mess of things and hurt a lot of people. Because of
my guilt, I ended a happy, simple relationship with my heavenly Father. I forgot that I could ask
Him to fix what I had broken and seek His advice.”
Years passed. Eventually Mike became desperate for God, yet he wondered what to do. His
pastor said simply, “Say you’re sorry to God, and mean it!”
Instead, Mike asked complicated questions, like: “How does this work?” and “What if . . .?”
Finally his pastor prayed, “Please, God, give Mike the faith of a child!” Mike later testified
joyfully, “The Lord did!”
Mike found closeness with his heavenly Father. The key for him and for us is to practice the
simple and uncomplicated faith of a child.
Have you noticed that the childlike faith
Of a little girl or boy
Has so often shown to older folks
How to know salvation’s joy?
—Branon

Childlike Humility
Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew
18:4
In the mid-70s, my husband Bill and I befriended a drug addict named Derek on the London
subway. Days later we invited him to come and live with our family. He soon received Christ
and His forgiveness.
Until then, the world had been shouting to Derek, “Why don’t you grow up?” That day Jesus
tenderly said to him, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3). Derek became a child of God! We expected this
young man to learn a lot through us about God, but little did we expect to learn about God
through him.
For example, one afternoon we discussed the possibility of someday opening a Christian
rehabilitation center for addicts. None of us knew when, where, how, or if it would ever happen.
I said, “Well, we know God won’t let us down.” Derek, however, added, “God won’t let Himself
down.” His words echoed Psalm 23:3, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s
sake.”
Twenty eventful years ago He brought that rehabilitation center into being “for His name’s
sake,” and I’ve been learning and relearning childlike humility ever since. How about you?
There's so much wisdom to be learned,
So many ways for me to grow,
Lord, I would listen like a child,
And learn what You would have me know.
—K. De Haan
If you're filled with pride, you won't have room for wisdom.
Leaping With Joy
Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew
18:4
One nice thing about having a young daughter is the frequent reminders she gives me about
joyful trust. Debbie still jumps into my arms from the stairs, the porch, or the picnic table with a
shout and a great big smile. We never have a long discussion ahead of time about whether or not
I’ll catch her. She just looks at me and leaps.
As adults, we tend to become more cautious with age. That may be all right in driving a car or
spending money, but it is stifling in our relationship with God.

When the disciples of Jesus wanted to know who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven, the
Lord pointed to a child as He spoke of conversion and humility: “Whoever humbles himself as
this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:4).
How I long to become more childlike each year with my heavenly Father instead of more
hesitant, more calculating, more insistent that He guarantee the results before I’ll take a step of
faith. Rather than becoming more cautious as I age, I want to become more daring in my walk
with God. Instead of being obsessed with landing safely and looking good, I want to leap with
humble, joyful abandon toward my heavenly Father’s arms.
I take my Father's hand in faith,
Though where He leads I may not see;
My hand is given into His—
I trust Him as my child trusts me.
—Shoemaker
Childlike faith focuses on our heavenly Father, not on our fears.
Child's Play
After a surprise storm blanketed the Middle East with snow, a newspaper photo showed four
armed men smiling as they built a snowman outside the battered walls of a military headquarters.
The wintry weather also caused a protest to be canceled and delayed a debate over parliamentary
matters of pressing importance. Men wearing long robes and women in traditional black dresses
and headscarves were seen playing in the snow. There’s something about snow that brings out
the child in all of us.
And there’s something about the gospel that beckons us to abandon our deep hostilities and
feelings of self-importance in favor of a childlike humility and faith. When Jesus was asked,
“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1), He called a little child to
come to Him and said, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven” (v.3).
It has been said that age diminishes our imagination, hopes, and possibilities. The older we get,
the more easily we say, “That could never happen.” But in a child’s mind, God can do anything.
A childlike faith filled with wonder and confidence in God unlocks the door to the kingdom of
heaven.
God, give me the faith of a little child!
A faith that will look to Thee—
That never will falter and never fail,
But follow Thee trustingly. —Showerman

The Children's Friend
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the
kingdom of heaven." —Matthew 19:14
Today, people around the globe will observe the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great
storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. The lessons and encouragement contained in his tales of
The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor’s New Clothes are still considered a
great gift to children everywhere.
I’m reminded, however, that Jesus Christ is the greatest friend of children the world has ever
known. No one has done more for them than Jesus.
When Jesus’ disciples reprimanded people for bringing little ones to Him, the Lord said, “Let the
little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 19:14).
Jesus valued children as persons of worth. After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Lord
accepted the praise of children and reminded those who criticized them that God has ordained
praise even “out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants” (Matthew 21:16; Psalm 8:2).
Companionship with the Savior is the privilege of everyone who trusts Him with the simple faith
of a child. His loving arms and tender heart are ready to embrace every child who accepts Him.
He willingly receives all who open their hearts to Him. He is the children’s Friend.
O Jesus, You who once did say
To little children at their play,
"Come to Me, you will be blessed,"
So come to us and be our Guest.
—Anon
The Creator hides secrets from sages,
yet He can be known by children.
RECEIVING THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD NO. 1439

A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD’S-DAYMORNING, OCTOBER20,
1878, BYC. H. SPURGEON,AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE,
NEWINGTON.
“Verily I sayunto you, Whosoevershallnot receive the kingdom of God as a
little child shall in no wise enter therein.” Luke 18:17.
WHEN our Lord blessedthe little children He was making His lastjourney to
Jerusalem. It was thus a farewellblessing which He gave to the little ones, and
it reminds us of the fact that among His parting words to His disciples, before
He was taken up, we find the tender charge, “Feedmy lambs.” The ruling
passionwas strong upon the greatShepherd of Israel, “who gathers the lambs
with his arm, and carries them in his bosom,” and it was fitting that while He
was making His farewelljourney He should bestow His gracious benediction
upon the children. Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christis not here among us in
person, but we know where He is, and we know that He is clothed with all
powerin heavenand in earth wherewithto bless His people, let us then draw
near to Him this day. Let us seek His touch in the form of fellowship, and ask
the aid of His intercession, letus include others in our prayers, and among
these let us give our children, and indeed, all children, a leading place. We
know more of Jesus than the women of Palestine did, let us therefore, be even
more eagerthan they were to bring our children to Him that He may bless
them, and that they may be acceptedin Him, even as we ourselves are. Jesus
waits to bless. He is not changedin character, orimpoverished in grace, as He
still receives sinners, so does He still bless children, and let none of us be
content, whether we be parents or teachers, until He has receivedour
children, and has so blessedthem that we are sure that they have entered the
kingdom of God. Our Savior, when He saw that His disciples were not only
backwardto admit the children to Him, but even rebuked those who brought
them, was much displeased, and calledthem to Him that He might teachthem
better. He then informed them that insteadof the children being regardedas
intruders, they were most welcome to Himself, and insteadof being

interlopers, they had full right of access, forof children and of childlike
persons His kingdom was composed. Moreover, He declaredthat none could
enter that kingdom except in the same manner as children enter. He spoke
with divine certainty, using His own expressive “verily,” and He spoke with
the weightof His own personalauthority, “I say unto you.” These prefatory
expressions are intended to secure our reverent attention to the fact that so far
from the admissionof children into the kingdom being unusual or strange,
none can find entrance there unless they receive the Gospelas a little child
receives it. It is this statementof the Masterwhich affords us a subject for this
morning, which may the divine Spirit open up to us and impress upon our
hearts. I shall speak upon three matters, first, upon the secretthought of the
disciples, which the Masterrefuted by the language of the text, secondly, upon
the open declarationof our Lord, in the text, and thirdly, upon the
encouragementwhichHe thus gives to us. I. To begin with, let me deal with
THE SECRET THOUGHT OF THE DISCIPLES, expressedby their actions
though not spokenin words. And first, it is pretty clearthat the disciples
thought the children were too insignificant for the Lord’s time to be takenup
by them. If it had been a prince who wishedto come to Jesus, no doubt Peter
and the rest of them would have diligently securedhim an introduction, but
you see, these were only poor women, with babies and boys and girls. If it had
been an ordinary personlike themselves, they would
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not have repelled him with rebukes. But mere children! Sucklings and little
children! It was too bad for these to be intruded upon the greatTeacher. A
word is used about the youthful applicants which may signify children of any
age, from sucklings up to twelve years, surely Jesus had worry enough
without the intrusion of these juveniles. He had higher subjects for thought,
and graverobjects of care. The children were so very little, they were quite
beneath His notice, so the disciples thought in their hearts. But, brethren, if it

comes to a matter of insignificance, who among us canhope to win the divine
attention? If we think that children must be little in His sight, what are we?
He takes up the isles as a very little thing. The inhabitants of the earth are as
grasshoppers, yea, we are all as things of nought. If we were humble, we
should exclaim, “Lord, what is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son
of man, that you visit him?” If we dream that the Lord will not notice the
little and insignificant, what think we of such a text as this—“Are not two
sparrows soldfor a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father.” Does Godcare for sparrows, and shall he not care for
little children? The idea of insignificance must be set aside at once. “Though
the Lord be high, yet has he respectunto the lowly.” But are little children so
insignificant? Do they not people heaven? Is it not your conviction? it is
mine—that they make up a very considerable part of the population of the
skies. Multitudes of infant feet are treading the streets of the New Jerusalem.
Snatchedfrom the breastbefore they had committed actual sin, delivered
from the toilsome pilgrimage of life, they always behold the face of our Father
which is in heaven. “Of such is the kingdom of God.” Call you these
insignificant? Children, who are the most numerous company in the army of
the elect, dare you despise them? I might turn the tables, and call the adults
insignificant, among whom there can be found no more than a small remnant
who serve the Lord. Besides, many children are sparedto grow up to man’s
estate, and therefore we must not think a child insignificant. He is the father
of the man. In him are greatpossibilities and capacities. His manhood is as yet
undeveloped, but it is there, and he that trifles with it mars the man. He who
tempts the mind of a boy may destroy the soulof a man. A little error
injected into the ear of a youth may become deadly in the man when the slow
poison shall at last have touched a vital part. Weeds sownin the furrows of
childhood will grow with the young man’s growth, ripen in his prime, and
only decayinto a sad corruption when he himself declines. On the other hand,
a truth dropped into a child’s heart will fructify, and his manhood shall see
the fruit of it. Yon child listening in the class to his teacher’s gentle voice may
develop into a Luther, and shake the world with his vehement proclamation of
the truth. Who among us can tell? At any rate, with the truth in his heart the
boy shall grow up to honor and fear the Lord, and thus shall he help to keep
alive a godly seedin these evil days. Therefore letno man despise the young

or think them insignificant. I claim a front place for them. I ask that if others
are kept back, atany rate their feebleness may make room for the little ones.
They are the world’s future. The past has been and we cannotalter it, even
the presentis gone while we gaze on it, but our hope lies in the future,
therefore by your leave, sirs, room for the children, room for the boys and
girls. Again, I suppose that these grown-up apostles thought that the
children’s minds were too trifling. They are at their play and their childish
mirth, they will regardit only as a pastime to be folded in Jesus’arms, it will
be mirth to them, and they will have no idea of the solemnity of their position.
Well! Well! Trifling is it? Children are said to be guilty of trifling! Oh, sirs,
and are you not also triflers! If it comes to an examination upon the matter of
trifling, who are the greatesttriflers, children or full-grown men and women?
What is greatertrifling than for a man to live for the enjoyment of sensual
pleasures, orfor a woman to live to dress herself and waste her time in
company? Naymore, what is the accumulation of wealth for the sake ofit but
miserable trifling? Child’s play without the amusement! Mostmen are
triflers on a largerscale than children, and that is the main difference.
Children when they trifle play with little things—their toys so breakable, are
they not made on purpose to be trifled with and broken? The child with his
trifles is but doing as he should. Alas, I know men and women who trifle
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with their souls, and with heaven and hell and eternity, they trifle with God’s
word, trifle with God’s Son, trifle with God Himself! Charge not children with
being frivolous, for their little games oftenhave as much of earnestnessabout
them, and are as useful, as the pursuits of men. Half the councils of our
senators and the debates of our parliaments are worse than child’s play. The
game of war is a far greaterfolly than the most frolicsome of boyish tricks.
Big children are worse triflers than the little ones canever be. Despise not
children for trifling when the whole world is given to folly. “Ay,” say they,

“but if we should let the children come to Christ, and if He should bless them,
they will soonforgetit. No matter how loving his look and how spiritual his
words, they will go back to their play, and their weak memories will preserve
no trace of it at all.” This objection we meet in the same manner as the others.
Do not men forget? What a forgetful generationdo most preachers address!
Verily, this is a generationlike that of which Isaiahsaid, “Preceptmust be
upon precept, preceptupon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a
little, and there a little.” Alas, many of our hearers must have the Gospel
preachedto them again, and again, and again, till the preacheris well-nigh
wearywith his hopeless task, forthey are like to men who see their natural
faces in a glass, and go their way to forget what manner of men they are. They
live in sin still. The Word has no abiding place in their hearts. Forgetfulness!
Charge not children with it lestthe accusationbe proven againstyourselves.
But do the little ones forget? I suppose the events which we best remember in
advancedage are the things which happened to us in our earliestdays. At any
rate, I have shakenhands with grey-headedmen who have forgottennearly all
the events which have intervened betweentheir old age and the time of their
childhood, but little matters which transpired at home, hymns learnedat their
mother’s knee, and words spokenby their father or sisterhave lingered with
them. The voices ofchildhood echo throughout life. The first learnedis
generallythe last forgotten. The young children who heard our Lord’s
blessing would not forgetit. They would have His countenance photographed
upon their hearts and never forgetHis kind and tender smile. Peter, James,
and John, and the rest of you are all mistaken, and therefore you must suffer
the children to come to Jesus. Perhaps, too, they thought that children had
not sufficient capacity. Jesus Christsaid such wonderful things that the
children could not be supposed to have the capacity to receive them. Yet,
indeed, this is a greaterror, for children readily enter into our Lord’s
teaching. They never learn to read so quickly from any book as from the New
Testament. The words of Jesus are so childlike and so fitted for children that
they drink them in better than the words of any other man, howeversimple he
may try to be. Children readily understand the child Jesus. Whatis this
matter of capacity? What capacity is wanted? Capacityto believe? I tell you
children have more of that than grown-up persons. I am not now speaking of
the spiritual part of faith, but as far as the mental faculty is concerned, there

is any quantity of the capacityfor faith in the heart of a child. His believing
faculty has not yet been overloadedby superstition, or perverted by falsehood,
or maimed by wickedunbelief. Only let the Holy Spirit consecratethe faculty
and there is enough of it for the production of abundant faith in God. In what
respectare children deficient of capacity? Do they lack capacityfor
repentance? Assuredly not, have I not seena girl weepherself ill because she
has done wrong? A tender consciencein many a little boy has made him
unutterably miserable when he has been conscious ofa fault. Do not some of
us recollectthe keenarrows of convictionwhich rankled in our hearts when
we were yet children? I distinctly recollectthe time when I could not rest
because ofsin, and sought the Lord, while yet a child, with bitter anguish.
Children are capable enough of repentance, Godthe Holy Spirit working it in
them, this is no conjecture, for we ourselves are living witnesses. What, then,
do children want in the matter of capacity? “Why, they have not sufficient
understanding,” says one. Understanding—of what? If the religionof Jesus
were that of modern thought, if it were such sublime nonsense that none but
the so-called“cultured” class couldmake head or tail of it, then children
might be incapable of its comprehension, but if it be indeed the Gospelof the
poor man’s Bible, then there are shallows in it where the tiniest lamb in Jesus’
fold may wade without fear of
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being carried off its feet. It is true that in the Scriptures there are great
mysteries, where your leviathans may dive and find no bottom, but the
knowledge ofthese deep things is not essentialto salvation, or else few of us
would be saved. The things that are essentialto salvationare so exceedingly
simple that no child need sit down in despair of understanding the things
which make for his peace. Christcrucified is not a riddle for sages, but a plain
truth for plain people, true, it is meat for men, but it is also milk for babes
Did you say that children could not love? That, after all, is one of the grandest

parts of the educationof a Christian, did you dream that children could not
attain to it? No, you did not say that, nor dared you think it, for the capacity
for love is great in a child. Would God it were always as greatin ourselves. To
put the thought of the apostle into one or two words, they thought that the
children must not come to Christ because theywere not like themselves—they
were not men and women. A child not big enough, tall enough, grownenough,
greatenough to be blessedby Jesus!So they half thought. The child must not
come to the Masterbecause he is not like the man. How the blessedSavior
turns the tables and says, “Saynot, the child may not come till he is like a
man, but know that you cannot come till you are like him. It is no difficulty in
the child’s way that he is not like you, the difficulty is with you, that you are
not like the child.” Instead of the child needing to wait until he grows up and
becomes a man, it is the man who must grow down and become like a child.
“Whoevershall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no
wise enter therein.” Our Lord’s words are a complete and all-sufficient
answerto the thought of His disciples, and we may eachone as we read them
learn wisdom. Let us not say, “Would to God my child were grown up like
myself that he might come to Christ,” but rather may we almost wish that we
were little children again, could forget much that now we know, could be
washedcleanfrom habit and prejudice, and could begin again with a child’s
freshness, simplicity, and eagerness.As we pray for spiritual childhood,
Scripture sets its sealupon the prayer, for it is written, “Excepta man be born
againhe cannotsee the kingdom of God,” and again, “Exceptyou are
converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom
of heaven.” Thus much, then, upon the secretthought of the disciples. Now, I
wonder whether any of you have such a thought as theirs lingering in your
brain or heart this morning. I wonder whether you ever think in this fashion.
I should not be surprised if you do. I hope it is not quite so common as it used
to be, but I used to see in certainquarters among old folks a deep suspicionof
youthful piety. The seniors shook their heads at the idea of receiving children
into the church. Some even ventured to speak of converts as “only a lot of girls
and boys” as if they were the worse for that. Many if they hear of a child-
convert are very dubious, unless he dies very soon, and then they believe all
about him. If the child lives they sharpen their axes to have a cut at him by
way of examination. He must know all the doctrines, certainly, and he must be

supernaturally grave. It is not every grown-up person who knows the higher
doctrines of the Word, but if the young person should not know them he is set
aside. Some people expectalmost infinite wisdom in a child before they can
believe him to be the subjectof divine grace. This is monstrous. Then again, if
a believing child should act like a child, some of the fathers of the last
generationjudged that he could not be converted, as if conversionto Christ
added twenty years to our age. Of course, the young convert must not play
any more, nor talk in his own childish fashion, or the seniors would be
shocked, forit was a sort of understood thing that as soonas evera child was
convertedhe was to turn into an old man. I never could see anything in
Scripture to support this theory, but then Scripture was not so much cared for
as the judgment of the deep-experiencedpeople, and the generalopinion that
it was well to summer and winter all converts before admitting them into the
sacredenclosures ofthe church. Now, if any of you still have an idea in your
head hostile to the conversionof children, try and get rid of it, for it is as
wrong as wrong can be. If there were two inquirers before me now, a child
and a man, and I receivedfrom eachthe same testimony, I should have no
more right to distrust the child than
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to suspectthe man, in fact, if suspicions must come in anywhere, it ought
rather to be exercisedtowards the adult than in reference to the child, who is
far less likelyto be guilty of hypocrisy than the man, and far less likelyto have
borrowedhis words and phrases. At any rate, learn from the Master’s words
that you are not to try and make the child like yourself, but you are to be
transformed till you yourself are like the child. II. Now we pass on to our
secondhead, namely, THE OPEN DECLARATION OF OUR LORD, wherein
He sets forth His mind upon this matter. Looking at it carefully, we observe,
first, that He tells the disciples that the gospelsets up a kingdom. Was there
ever a kingdom which had no children in it? How then could it grow? Jesus

tells us that children are admitted into the kingdom, nay, not only that some
few are here and there admitted into it, but “ofsuch is the kingdom of God.” I
am not inclined to get awayfrom the plain sense ofthat expression, nor to
suggestthat He merely means that the kingdom consists ofthose who are like
children. It is clearthat He intended such children as those who were before
Him—babes and young children, “of such is the kingdom of God.” There are
children in all kingdoms and there are children in Christ’s kingdom, and I am
not certainthat John Newtonwas not right when he said that the majority of
persons who are now in the kingdom of Godare children. When I think of all
the multitudes of babes that have died, who are now swarming in the streets of
heaven, it does seemto me to be a blessedthought that albeit generationafter
generationof adults have passedawayin unbelief and rebellion, yet enormous
multitudes of children have gone streaming up to heaven, savedby the grace
of God, through the death of Christ, to sing the high praises of the Lord
forever before the eternalthrone. “Ofsuch is the kingdom of heaven.” They
give tone and characterto the kingdom, it is rather a kingdom of children
than of men. Next, our Lord tells us that the way of entering the kingdom is
by receiving. “Whosoevershallnot receive the kingdom of God as a little child
shall in no wise enter therein.” We do not enter into the kingdom of God by
working out some deep problem and arriving at its solution, not by fetching
something out of ourselves, but by receiving a secretsomething into us. We
come into the kingdom by the kingdom’s coming into us, it receives us by our
receiving it. Now, if this entrance into the kingdom depended upon something
to be fetchedout of the human mind by study and deep thought, then very few
children could ever enter it, but it depends upon something to be received, and
therefore children may enter. Those children, who are of sufficient years to
sin and to be savedby faith, have to listen to the Gospeland to receive it by
faith, and they can do this, God the Holy Spirit helping them. There is no
doubt about it, because greatnumbers have done it. I will not sayat what age
children are first capable of receiving the knowledge ofChrist, but it is much
earlier than some fancy, and we have seenand known children who have
given abundant evidence that they have receivedChrist and have believed in
Him at a very early age. Some of them have died triumphantly, and others of
them have lived graciously, and some are here now, grown up to be men and
women, who are honorable members of the church. Oh, sirs, you who would

fain be consideredto be “cultured” and thoughtful, and therefore able to fetch
a Gospelout of the deep well of your own consciousness, youwill never be
savedby that process.It is not that which comes out of you which will save
you, but that which goes into you. Inventions and discoveries willnot enable
you to enter the kingdom, you must be receivers. You must sit at Jesus’feet
and believe what He reveals. You must let your artful questions and your
curious suppositions lie still, and you must become a scholar, for the proud
spirit which scorns discipleshipwill shut you out of the kingdom of God unless
you crucify it. We enter the kingdom by receiving, and therefore children can
enter. The next thing in the text is that if we receive this kingdom, and so
enter into it, we must receive it as children receive it. How do children receive
the kingdom of God? The answermust be twofold, seeing there are two sorts
of children—those who are mere babes, and incapable of actualsin, and those
who
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are quite capable both of sinning and believing. I shut out neither from the
text, because I honestly think they are both there. In one Gospelour version
reads, infants, and in the one before us little children. We know that infants
enter the kingdom, for we are convinced that all of our race who die in
infancy are included in the electionof grace, and partake in the redemption
wrought out by our Lord Jesus. Whateversome may think, we believe that the
whole spirit and tone of the Word of God, as well as the nature of God
Himself, leadus to believe that all who leave this world as babes are saved.
Now, how do they receive the kingdom, for in the same way must we receive
it! Certainly children do not receive it by birth or blood, for we are expressly
told in John’s gospelthat the children of God are born not of blood nor of the
will of the flesh. All privilege of descentis now abolished, and no babe enters
into heavenbecause it was born of a pious father or mother, neither shall any
be shut out because his progenitors were atheists or idolaters. My solemn

persuasionis that the child of a Muslim, or a Papist, or a Buddhist, or a
cannibal, dying in infancy, is as surely savedas the child of the Christian.
Salvationby blood or birth there canbe none, for the Gospeldispensation
does not admit of it, if saved, as we assuredlybelieve they are, infants must be
savedsimply according to the will and goodpleasure of God, because He has
made them to be His own. Neither are infants savedas the result of any
ceremony. There is no mention in the passageofinfant baptism, and yet if
there had been such an ordinance this appears to be a natural time for
announcing it. Not so much as a word or a hint upon that practice canbe
found here, and therefore I will not waste words upon a question quite foreign
to my text. It is clear that our Lord is speaking of children as such, and not as
the subjects of a ceremony. Children dying in infancy in China and Japanare
as truly saved as those dying in England or Scotland. Their want of (so-called)
baptism cannot affectthem one jot. Babes ofswarthy mothers, infants born in
the kraalof the Khoikhoi or the wigwamof the Red Indian are alike saved,
and therefore not savedby any outward rite, or by the mystic power of a
priesthood. They are raised to the kingdom of heaven by the free and
sovereigngrace ofGod. How are they savedthen?—by works? No, forthey
have never wrought any. By their natural innocence? No, for if that innocence
could have admitted them to heaven, it must also have sufficed to save them
from pain and death. If sin be not upon them in some form, how is it that they
suffer? The imputed sin which makes them die prevents our believing that
they claim heaven by right of innocence. Theydie because of Adam’s fall. Sad
consequence oftheir being born of fallen parents. Mark their appealing looks
as the dear little ones look up in their sufferings, as if they would fain ask why
they must endure so much pain. We look at them with all the deepergrief
because we cannothelp them, and are made to reflectupon the mysterious
union of the race in its fall and sorrow. The anguish of the dying little one is a
proof of Adam’s fall, and of its participation in the result thereof. The dear
babes live again, however, because Jesusdied and rose again, and they are in
Him. They perish, as far as this life is concerned, for a sin which they did not
commit, but they also live eternally through a righteousness in which they had
no hand, even the righteousness ofJesus Christ, who has redeemedthem. We
know little of the matter, but we suppose them to undergo regenerationere
they enter heaven, for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and to enter the

spiritual world they must be born of the Spirit. But whatever is wrought in
them, it is clearthat they do not enter the kingdom by the force of intellect, or
will, or merit, but as a matter of free grace, having no reference to anything
that they have done or have felt. In that same manner you, O man, must pass
into the kingdom, entirely through free grace, and not at all by any poweror
merit of your own. You will enter heavenas fully by grace as if you had never
lived a godly life, nor had practiceda single virtue. I said the other evening to
an esteemedmember of this church, who lies dying, “Dearbrother, you have
been a goodsoldier of Jesus Christ.” He replied, “You sayso, but I think
nothing of what I have done. I am looking to Christ alone.” Justso. That is the
ground of salvation. There cannot be any reasonfor the salvationof that dear
babe, which has just passedthe
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portals of the skies, for it was born of a fallen race, exceptthe grace ofGod,
and that grace ofGod which saves the babe must save you and me. I have
nothing else to rest upon but the babe’s Savior, and no hope exceptthe belief
that the headship of Christ comprehends me within itself, even as it
comprehends the little one. Now we have to think of anothersort of children,
those who outlive the time of infancy and become children capable of actual
sin, and of knowing Christ, and being converted. Many of these by faith enter
the kingdom. Now, as these children receive the kingdom of heaven, so must
we receive it. How do the children receive it? I answer, a child receives the
Gospelwith humility, with simple faith, and with unworldliness. Children are
not held up to us as an example in all things, for they have faults which we
ought to avoid, but they are here praisedin this point—the way in which they
receive the kingdom. How does a child receive it? We have said first with
humility. He is humble enough to be without prejudice. Take a little child and
tell him about Christ Jesus the Savior, and if God blesses the telling of the
story of the cross, andhe believes it, he receives it without having any wrong

views and notions to battle with. Many a man goes to hear the Gospelwith
the idea that Christ is merely human, he cannot getrid of that prejudice from
his mind, and therefore he does not receive Christ Jesus the Lord. Another
comes to hear the word with the recollectionofall that he has heard and read
of infidelity, heresy, and profanity, how can he profit till this is removed?
Another comes with his mind stuffed with proud selfrighteousness, witha
belief in priestcraft, or with reliance upon some form or ceremony. If we could
get this lumber out of the soul, there would be some hope, but all this is a
hindrance. Now, the dear child, as he listens to the story of the love of God in
Christ Jesus, has none of these prejudices to spoil his hearing. Very likely He
does not even know that such evils have been invented by man, and he is
blessedin his ignorance. He will find out the evil soonenough, but for the
present he humbly drinks in the word, and prays—
“Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look on me, a little child; Pity my simplicity;
Suffer me to come to Thee.”
Now, this deliverance from preconceivednotions is what we greatly need. My
highly cultured and learned hearer over yonder, you must come to Jesus as if
you knew nothing, to begin de novo, with a cleanpage, on which Jesus must
write what you are to believe. Just as your little boy or your little girl must
believe, even so must you. There is only one way for the shepherd and the
sage, the philosopher and the peasant. The little child receives Christhumbly,
for he never dreams of merit or purchase. I do not recollecteverhaving met
with a child who had to battle with self-righteousnessin coming to Christ. A
child cannot say, “Lord, I have been a constantattendant at church or at the
meeting house for years. I have takenthe sacramentregularly for half-a-
century,” neither canhe saywith the Pharisee, “Ifast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all that I possess.” Now,whena little one believes in the Lord Jesus, it
is always with a heart clearof boasting, and with a soul which sings—

“In my hand no price I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling.”
That is how you will have to come to Jesus, my fine fellow. You must doff
those feathers of pride, and strip off that finery of self-righteousnessoryou
will find heaven’s gate too low and too narrow for you. A little child is free
from the pride of knowledge, it has no “culture” and researchto heap up
before the cross. Certainmen will not come to Jesus because theyknow too
much, their self-conceitwill be
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their ruin. They have read, and they have thought, and they have studied, and
therefore they know better than inspiration, better than apostles and
prophets. But my big brother, you must be diminished and brought down
from the chair of the critic to the stoolof the scholarif ever you are to be
saved. Saving truth enters the heart, it is not developed from within, and it
will have to come into you as it comes into the child, simply by believing what
Jesus says, orelse you will be a castaway. There is no other wayof your
entering into the kingdom of God but by the door which admits a child. A
secondpoint about a little child is that it is generally teachable. You do not
find your children in the Sunday school, whenthe Lord blesses them, raising
difficulties, they do not inquire how is the goodnews from heaven consistent
with reason? and how is this statement of Scripture to be reconciledwith the
spirit of the age? No, there is the bread of heavenbefore the child, and he eats
it, though he does not yet know how the wheatwas made into bread. That is
how we must receive the kingdom, we must lay aside all hope of solving
difficulties, and believe upon the authority of God. Nothing short of this is
faith. Children receive the Gospelwithout proposing amendments in it. “I
should like your Gospel,” says one, “if you would alter it here, and amend it
there.” There is a clique abroad nowadays who are always for unsettling our

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