I Blessed the Children

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

November 20, 2019

I Blessed the Children

Page 196

Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17

Nero probably didn’t start the fire in Rome or fiddle while it burned, but even so that image comes to my mind when I think of the current state of affairs in our Nation’s capital. The power-hungry partisan fighting, while the needs of our country are ignored, is a snapshot of American culture. Jesus came to change every scintilla of this culture.

We got a glimpse of this in yesterday’s reading when Jesus reminded the people of God’s design for marriage. Today, Jesus extends his cultural revolution to children. This seemingly simple instruction by Jesus is included in three of the Gospels, which is evidence of how much the first-century church believed their cultural values needed to change. Jesus was bringing the people home to the Father, who is the author of life, and for whom all life is sacred.  Proclaiming that all people, including children, women and Gentiles, are loved and esteemed by God became the core foundation of the first-century church.

Jesus knew that children were helpless and had to trust and depend on their parents. Jesus brings us to God the Father Almighty, who is head over heels, passionately in love with us. Jesus says we do well to have trust and dependence as the core of our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

My Takeaway: “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Luke 18:17). As I read Jesus’ words, my mind drifts back to the Sermon on the Mount:

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,

God blesses those who mourn,

God blesses those who are humble,”

(Matthew 5)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2019 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.