"What Sort of Children Does Jesus Love?"

From: Messages of God's Love: 1973

• 1 min. read • grade level: 5

“WHAT SORT of children does Jesus love?” asked the Sunday school teacher as he addressed a group of children one afternoon.

Instantly a chorus of voices answered, “Only good children!” But the teacher was silent for a while, and the children could see by the look on his face that that was not the answer he was looking for.

Presently he said, “Jesus loves bad children,” and they all seemed surprised.

Little Sandy asked anxiously if it was really true; perhaps she thought it was too good to be true. But the teacher assured her that it was true and then she burst into tears.

“Oh I’m so glad,” she sobbed, “for I’m a bad girl.”

“There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Rom. 3:12¹²They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12).

“Jesus said, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:17¹⁷When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mark 2:17).

The Lord Jesus also said to the poor woman who came and wiped His feet with her tears (Luke 7:36, 50³⁶And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. (Luke 7:36)
⁵⁰And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:50)): “Thy sins are forgiven... Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

ML-01/28/1973

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