Friday 1 June 2007

Jesus took them up in His arms

“And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” - Mark 10v16

Mark gives a beautiful picture of Jesus and His attitude toward children. Matthew also records this account, but I noticed something this time that is really precious.

We know the incident. Jesus was a very busy time of His ministry. Huge crowds were coming to Him to hear Him teach or to be healed. A group of parents brought their children to Jesus for a blessing. He was so busy that the disciples figured He had not time for these children. After all, they were only children.

When Jesus saw this He was “greatly displeased” at the disciples for their attitude. He taught the disciples about the importance of simple faith, but is what happens next that caught my attention. He “took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.”

The mental image here is absolutely beautiful. Can’t you just see Jesus, in the midst of a crowd vying for His attention, tenderly holding these children on His lap? There are times when adults get frustrated and impatient with children. That is normal. Perhaps with this is mind we should try to remember this particular incident where our Saviour took the time to tenderly hold these children on His lap. His attitude toward children is one we should emulate in our lives.

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