Mark 10:14 Commentary and Bible Study

The language is very strong: ‘But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased.’ Christ was indignant, very displeased, and the disciples were collectively made well aware of this. They had done something that had made their Lord angry, and they needed to see their mistake. However much they had held a common view of the situation and judged that the parents were being foolish, when the Lord corrected them so firmly, they were forced to accept that he was right and they had all been badly mistaken. But why had they made this error? That was the important thing, and Christ is going to use this event to teach them a key principle of the kingdom of heaven.The disciples have allowed a way of thinking to affect them which dismisses a child as insignificant, of little consequence to God. In this they showed that they were completely out of sympathy with the way the Lord thinks and what is important to him. But hand in hand with this went a completely wrong way of looking at themselves. Christ links the two things together. They could look down on a child as of no importance, because they were thinking too highly of themselves. Because they elevated themselves in their own eyes and thought Christ saw them in the same way, they could regard a little child as nothing. But because a child has a small body, does it also have a small soul? No, every soul is a universe, whether it is the soul of an adult or a child. A child may not have a fully developed body or mind, but it is made in the image of God, and it is capable of deep love and affection to parents and to God. A child may have deep fears and deep hopes. Christ says, ‘of such is the kingdom of God.’ That does not mean that all children are in the kingdom of God, nor does it mean that all features of children are good. Christ is drawing attention to one aspect of childlike behaviour: the unassuming simplicity and trust that is often found in children. That is what is to be emulated. So the disciples had completely misjudged the situation and they have sinned in trying to prevent the parents bringing their children to him.‘Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.’ This answer tells us much. Childlike dependence and trust are characteristic of every one who is in the kingdom of heaven. Godly parents bring their children to Christ not for some blessing that falls short of salvation, but for salvation itself. When that should take place was in the hands of God, but they wanted their children to trust in him at as early an age as possible. Little children can come to faith while they are still young, and Christ gladly receives them. Anyone who would put an obstacle in the way of a parent who wants to bring their child to Christ for blessing incurs his wrath, and that is something that should make them afraid, for Christ’s wrath is followed by his judgment, and who can bear his anger when it is directed against them?