When the parents of little children brought them to Jesus for a blessing, the disciples tried to shoo them away. This drew the Savior's ire, because, He told them, the kingdom is composed of such children.
We preach often what this means: that we must be converted and come as little children unto the Lord, helpless, needy, without ability to save ourselves, but simply trusting in and receiving the gift of the Gospel with joy.
Their parents brought them to Jesus for a touch and a blessing, and He was delighted to do so! They knew somehow that there were benefits in the blessing of Jesus.
Jesus took these little children into His arms, prayed for them, and blessed them.
Every time in the Gospels that Jesus touched anyone, it was always to bless them! His touch healed deaf ears, mute tongues, blind eyes, and uncleanness.
His touch took away fear in the presence of His exceeding glory!
His resurrection touch raised people from the dead!
As I read this simple text, the thought came to me, oh, how much I wish that it had been me that Jesus touched!
But then there floods over my soul this truth: that Jesus has taken me into His arms!
Jesus has prayed for me!
Jesus has blessed me!
The physical signs wrought by Christ always pointed to the far greater spiritual truths that apply to all His people.
All of God's people have been brought to Jesus by God our Father, when nobody else ever could!
Jesus has prayed for all His people, and He intercedes for us in Glory.
Jesus has blessed us with redemption, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life, at great cost to Himself on the cross.
Jesus has taken us into His arms, and will never let us go.
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What a contrast to cover-ups of clergy who molest. Your survey of the four Gospels to see Jesus touching children contrasts sharply with the scandals of sexual molestation of minors perpetrated by priests and other clergy. This might be the ideal sermon and selection of passages (esp. Matthew 19:13; Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15) with the strongest chance to put to shame any Catholic clergyman or Protestant preacher who has fondled or molested a boy or girl.
Even better, it serves to positively inspire and exhort the rest of us that our hands can bestow good touches, our arms can encircle children in strong, comforting embraces, but it would be better to have our hands cut off than to use them to commit “bad touch” upon a child.
John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...