Scripture to Read: Luke 18:15
God led Luke to record many of the ministries of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as we learned yesterday about the Pharisee and the tax collector, we saw that the tax collector was “justified” before God the Father because of his humble, repentant heart. Then, Luke recorded this in Luke 18:15, “And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.” All the people who came to hear Jesus teach also brought their babies to Him just so He could touch them. This verse is incredibly crucial to Jesus’ ministry. We will see tomorrow Jesus’ response about the kingdom of God belonging to those who receive the kingdom of God like a child, but for now, we only know that the disciples thought that bringing these babies to Jesus was a waste of time. The reason the disciples responded as they did was that in that day and time, children were considered low-status; therefore, the disciples probably thought that all these babies were becoming an interruption to Jesus as He taught them and the crowds. What God wants us to see, though, is that Jesus is approachable to anyone who will come. God also wants us to know that babies are dependent on others and their dependence is not a sign of weakness but of need. No one comes to Jesus until they recognize their need for Him and their willingness to place their faith in Him. Finally, we must guard against creating barriers for those who do willingly come to Christ.
Challenge & Application
Why did the disciples object to parents bringing infants to Jesus?
What must we do in order to come to Christ and not to ever think someone is unworthy of coming to Christ?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!