Please Bless Them – Mark 10:13
Key Passage
People brought their small children to Jesus, so that Jesus could touch them. But the followers told the people to stop bringing their children to Jesus.
— Mark 10:13 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
We can never seem to find enough time to do the things we need to do. So who gets left out in the “busy-ness” of life? Children tend to be forgotten, neglected, ignored, put off, or left out when schedules get crunched—and this is true even in our child-dominated cultures. Even when children are a key part of adult schedules, this time is often centered on their performing or competing against other children.
We take such little amounts of time to just be with children and let them just be with us—nothing to do, to win, or to perform, just be with us. This reality is nothing new. Children often have been left out, pushed to the periphery of life, or simply neglected. Jesus had many important things to do. The disciples just didn’t realize children should be viewed as very important. Jesus did. Now so should we!
Prayer
O Father in heaven, thank you. Thank you for the gift of children. Thank you for the gift of future. Thank you for the gift of wild-eyed wonder. Help me to show the children around me that they are special and important—not only to me, but also to you.
Related Scriptures
Then they came to the town of Jericho. Jesus was leaving that town with his followers and many other people. A blind man named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road. This man was always begging for money. The blind man heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking by. The blind man shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, please help me!” Many people criticized the blind man. They told him not to speak.
But the blind man shouted more and more, “Son of David, please help me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Tell the man to come here.” So they called the blind man. They said, “Be happy! Stand up! Jesus is calling you.” The blind man stood quickly. He left his coat there and went to Jesus. Jesus asked the man, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man answered, “Teacher, I want to see again.” Jesus said, “Go. You are healed because you believed.” Then the man was able to see again. He followed Jesus on the road.
— Mark 10:46-52
Later the apostles began to argue about which one of them was the most important. But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the world rule over their people. Men who have authority over other people make the people call them ‘great helpers {of the people}.’ But you must not be like that. The greatest person should become like the youngest person! Leaders should be like servants. Who is more important: the person sitting at the table or the person serving him? You think the person sitting at the table is more important. But I am like a servant among you!
— Luke 22:24-27
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. A person must be born again. If a person is not born again, then that person cannot be in God’s kingdom.” Nicodemus said, “But if a person is already old, how can he be born again? A person cannot enter his mother’s body again! So a person cannot be born a second time!” But Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. A person must be born from water and the Spirit. If a person is not born from water and the Spirit, then he cannot enter God’s kingdom. A person’s body is born from his human parents. But a person’s spiritual life is born from the Spirit. Don’t be surprised that I told you, ‘You must be born again.’
— John 3:3-7
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
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