Part 20 of 35 Let the children come
People were bringing little children to Jesus so that he would bless them, but the disciples scolded them. Jesus was not pleased. "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them!" he said. "For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10:14–15).
"And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:16). Jesus showed that children matter to God.
Imagined The cottage
A small, simple house with a garden, a vine over the door and neighbors who wave as they pass. Here, every child is welcome and safe.
Real world A home for thousands
In 1836, George Müller, a Christian preacher in Bristol, England, opened a home for orphans. He never asked anyone for money, but prayed and trusted God to provide, and in his lifetime more than 10,000 orphans were cared for in his homes.
Art In this artwork
The illustration shows a white marble family house with a gold roof, a garden and flowering vines.
Look closer
- Find the flowering vines.
- Where is the garden?
Think about it
- Why do you think the disciples tried to send the children away?
- What do you think it means to receive God's kingdom "like a little child"?
- How can you make younger children feel welcome?
Key words
- Bless
- To ask for God's goodness on someone.
- Hinder
- To get in the way or stop.
- Orphan
- A child whose parents have died.
Sources
Bible quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible, which is in the public domain. The other facts on this page come from these sources:
- The Bible, Gospel of Mark
- Müllers (the George Müller Charitable Trust), Bristol, the history of the orphan houses
