Daily Devotional for Wednesday, April 15

The Invitation for Little Children

“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God,” Luke 18:16.

By the time that Jesus came to this earth, the Jews had added copious amounts of regulations to the Law that did not originally exist in the Law of Moses. To remain ceremonially clean became such a beam in the eyes of the people, that they did not allow even Jews who were blind or lame, to come into the Temple. Gentiles were pushed out of the court of the Gentiles by a market for sacrifices and the money exchangers. Even Jewish children were frowned upon in the Temple. It was deemed that the blind may touch something unclean without knowing, the lame also because they drag themselves on the ground and the children because children are unlearned and careless. How horrific would it be if someone were made unknowingly unclean by these groups?

Of course, Jesus was more concerned with the heart and never excluded people from worship and community based on the chance that they were unknowingly unclean. Jesus did not mind being in contact with children regardless of their possible ignorance, immaturity and uncleanness. Jesus actually reversed the stigma of children being unclean and said it was those who are like children that the kingdom of God consists.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Are there people in your life that you avoid or even shun because they might mess things up? Loving people often requires allowing our routines, schedules and carpets to get a little messed up. Extend a little more grace to someone today.

Jonathon D. Smith