Compassion International Daily Devotional
Monday, April 17th (2023)
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. - Matthew 19:13-14
Do you believe that all people are important to Jesus? Does Jesus care about a person’s ethnicity, race, or age? This section of Matthew contains a delightful picture to illustrate a time when Jesus blessed a part of society that many people in the culture thought were insignificant.
In this passage, parents were bringing their children to Jesus so He could pray for them. The disciples, in accordance with the worldly assumptions of that time, thought children shouldn’t take up Jesus’ time. They rebuked the children. They even tried to send the little ones away.
Jesus’ response is a beautiful message—He is accessible to everyone. “Let the little children come to me.” Jesus welcomed the children in their vulnerability and weakness. He expressed a special invitation to those who come to Him in humility and simplicity, no matter their age.
Adults can learn a lot from children. As we grow into adulthood, the world often hardens our hearts, making us callous to the things of God. In contrast, children are often humbly open to the salvation message.
This passage teaches us many important lessons. 1) Jesus values children and welcomes them. He calls us to do likewise. Rather than seeing children as irrelevant little ones, Jesus asks us to welcome them into His family. 2) Jesus touched the children with compassion and served as their protector. Likewise, we are called to value, love and show compassion to children.
How can you make children a priority in your life? Will you make time to care for a child who has been hurt or marginalized? Let that child know what he or she has in the eyes of Almighty God and in our eyes too.
This devotional is provided by https://www.compassion.com/










