Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow, black, and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” (Matt. 11:25)
Kids get it. They don’t ask questions, they don’t enter in to theological debates. When they know Jesus, they know Him. It’s the same all around the world. The kids in Ecuador were the ones most receptive to the drama my group performed. The kids at VBS in Jamaica soaked up what we poured out on them, never questioning, never debating whether it was “right” or “true.” The kids I saw in a church service in Malawi shouted out their praises to God without worrying about what the rest of the church thought. The kids at the orphanages in India praised God with all their might, squinting their eyes tightly shut or clasping their hands so close together…all because they love Jesus and because He is real to them. The kids in Thailand didn’t care what we knew about English nearly as much as they cared about the love of Christ we could give them. The kids in Cambodia continue to amaze me with their precious hearts and their smiling faces. There’s something in all these kids that makes them “get it,” something in them that makes it easier for them to understand, easier for them to trust. As God continues to reveal Himself to little children, they are drawn into a deeper relationship with Him.
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matt. 18:2-5)
Few couples are willing to have big families, and even fewer are willing to welcome extra kids and care for them as if they were their own. My parents are one of those exceptions – even though they had five kids of their own, they saw a need and filled it by welcoming four more kids from a different country into their home through adoption to love on and care for just like their own kids. A pastor I met in India was the same way – He and his wife had two little girls of their own when I met them, but they also oversaw an orphanage of (at its largest) almost 400 kids. They didn’t play favorites among the kids of different ethnic backgrounds but instead loved and accepted every one of those kids as if they were their very own. Our contact here in Cambodia is the same way – Vanny and his wife are young, but they run an orphanage of almost 30 kids. They welcome the kids and take them in as a family, not as “just another orphan.” What these people probably don’t continually think about is that when they accept children into their families they’re not just welcoming the kids…they’re welcoming Jesus as well. Jesus said that “whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me,” and He continues to challenge us to do that, even today. What a great opportunity these people have to tell more and more kids about God – about His protection and His perfect plans.
“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven… (Then comes the parable of the lost sheep)… In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (Matt. 18:10-14)
God cares about kids. He cares about the little kids on street corners trying to sell us stuff. He cares about the orphans who have no parents or friends to love on them. He cares about the school kids with their smiling faces, so eager to learn, and about the kids outside the school gates that can’t afford uniforms or school fees. He cares about the kids that wander aimlessly down dirt roads because they have nowhere else to go. He cares about all of them so much, and as this verse says, is not willing that any of them should be lost. He doesn’t want them to have to beg for necessities like food and shelter. He wants them to have parents and families and friends to love on them. He wants them to all be able to have an education. He doesn’t want them to wander aimlessly. God continues to watch over and protect the little children of the world because He cares so deeply about them. Imagine what the world would look like if everybody cared about kids as much as God does…no longer would there be children begging on street corners, sifting through trash to find their next meal. No longer would they wander aimlessly down dusty roads or meander outside school gates. What a world that would be! God commands His people so many times to “look after the widows and orphans…” because He cares.
Then the little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought 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.” (Matt. 19:13-14)
“Do not hinder them.” That’s Jesus’ command in this verse. He wants to make sure His children are protected and taken care of, but also that they are free to come to Him as they please. Some cultures have de-emphasized how important kids are, making them into little robots who go to school and help with chores and mimic what adults do…but that’s not what Jesus wanted when He mentioned children. He wants to see them free, uninhibited by the lives we adults lead. Free to come to Him if they so choose. Free to worship Him in whatever way they want. Free to be crazy and rambunctious and simply “kids”. There’s also a promise in this verse: “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” The kingdom belongs to those who are free; to those who come to Jesus uninhibited by the world and the things life offers; to those who have hearts like little children, fully trusting and believing that God is for them and that with Him all things are possible. Instead of the world that puts down kids and punishes them because they don’t know enough, the kingdom of God is open to and welcomes children and those with child-like faith.
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise‘?”
When I went to India two years ago I saw kids praising God with their hearts in a way I had never experienced before. They would close their eyes so tightly and simply cry out to God. Other times, they would praise with such joyful expressions on their faces. Once, a few of the girls did a dance in a talent show, and instead of seeking attention from the audience, they kept their faces turned toward God, continually praising Him. In Thailand, one of the boys at the orphanage praised God in a similar way. We went to church and Fil just sat there in his chair for a while, face scrunched up, just praising God with all his might. In Cambodia, the kids also shout out their praises to God. They may not sing in tune all the time or have the most beautiful voices, but their hearts are fully committed to praising God and that choice is evident on their faces and in the rest of their body language as well. From the lips of children…and from their beautiful hearts…Jesus is being praised all over the world.
Children were obviously important to Jesus…and they are important to me as well. Thank you for supporting me and sending me out to love the children of the world.
