I cannot pass by the mothers who brought their “little children” to our Lord that He might put His hands on them and pray. We find the story told three times — Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16 and Luke 18:15-17. Luke, the physician, tells us that they were “infants.” Mark, who so often records minute details of our Lord’s look or tone or act, tells us that “He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). Here the Spirit of God uses a very strong word for bless, reserved for these little children alone, and used in no other place in the New Testament. It might be translated, He “fervently blessed them.” And when the disciples rebuked these mothers, Mark tells us also that the Lord was “much displeased.” Again the Spirit uses a very strong word that has the meaning of being “grieved, indignant, angry.” You will remember how He said, “Suffer the little children to come to Me; forbid them not” (JND). We read in the New Testament six times of others being much displeased or grieved or indignant or angry — the disciples themselves on more than one occasion, the Pharisees, and the ruler of the synagogue, but only once do we ever find this word used of our Lord, and that was towards His own disciples when they tried to hinder the mothers bringing their little ones to Him. There is a very grave lesson for us in this word. Sad to say, there are many today who walk in the disciples’ footsteps and seek to hinder Christian parents bringing their little children to the Lord. These persons think that they are doing God service, but I fear that the Lord is grieved, indignant and angry. “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good” (3 John 11).
G. C. Willis