The Synoptic Gospels all include a record of people bringing children to Jesus. The disciples rebuke them, but Jesus corrects them and invites the children to come and sit in his arms. He blessed them and used their innocence to remind us that the Kingdom of God is a gift, not something we can earn with our “great” accomplishments.
Little children are helpless, dependent on their parents, lost without their direction. For those who have children, this simple example will resonate deeply. Our world changed when our first child was born. No longer just a couple, we became parents. It wasn’t a surprise, but the weight of the responsibility reshaped us as individuals. In many ways it humbled us.
Jesus points to the kingdom of God, the ultimate Father, and reminds us how we must become to enter His presence.