Saturday 13 Aug 2022

August 13: Matthew 19:13-15

Key Verse: Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’

Devotion:
Sometimes it is the brevity of words which makes the biggest impact on us; sometimes it is the meditation upon those words after we have heard them which changes our lives. Going through each of the epistles teaches us how we are all different but also how we are very similar or the same.

When the people brought their children to see Jesus, probably hoping for blessings and healing, the disciples began to rebuke them… this was a society which was adult and male centred! The Jewish ways upheld the man as the head of the household and children did not have much say until they became adults; little wonder the disciples did what they did!

But Jesus’ reaction was so very different. He wanted the children to come to Him because they had an innocence about them which the adults had all but lost! They were willing to accept what was being told to them as the truth, often without question. The adults were the ones questioning everything and ruining many things through pride and greed…

Jesus wanted society to go back to being as innocent as young children, willing to listen and learn, willing to accept what they were being told as the truth. Children will always question things when they hear two different instructions preferring to listen to their parents. This is how we should be, but listening to our Father in Heaven as our ultimate parent giving us the truth. If we can be more like that, we can learn more!

Points to Ponder:
Who do you listen to in your life?

Will you trust the Words of God a bit more today?