THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

179LITTLE CHILDREN AND JESUSLuke 18:15-17"Children are our most valuable natural resource."--Henry Ward Beecher“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment."--Wess Stafford"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven."--Herbert HooverFew of us are untouched by the stories of the children who come to Jesus. What is thesignificance of little children coming to Jesus? In all probability, it is no accident that the passagethat immediately precedes this section is The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collectorwhich Jesus concludes with the words: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, andhe who humbles himself will be exalted" (18:14).BRINGING BABIES TO THE MASTER (18:15)"People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have Him touch them" (v. 15).Parents wanted Jesus to touch the babies as an act of blessing. This was a commonpractice to convey a blessing.We have many incidents in Scripture where Jesus touches to bless and to heal (Mt 8:3,15; 9:29; 17:7; 20:34; Mk 1:41; 5:23; 7:33; 8:22; 10:13; Lk 5:13; 22:51).In Matthew's account we read,"Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on themand pray for them" (Mt 19:13).In this incident they were little children. The word translated "babies" (brephos) refers toa very small child, that is, a baby or infant. In the parallel passages (Mt 19:13 and Mk 10:13) andin verse 16 of our passage in Luke, another word is used for child (paidio), whether boy or girl,normally below the age of puberty.