Jesus loved the children. He was pleased, too, to have them come to Him. His disciples would have kept back the mothers with their babies, but He said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.” Then He took them in His arms and blessed them.
Jesus repeatedly showed His love for children. Once when His disciples asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child, and, taking him in His arms, said, “Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest.” Then He went on to speak of the dearness of the children in Heaven’s sight. It is a great crime, He said, to hurt a child.
He spoke also of the honour in which children are held in heaven. Sometimes they are despised on earth. “It is only a child,” men say, and pass on. But there is one place where no child is despised. “I say unto you,” said Jesus, “that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.” The angels set to guard the children have peculiar privilege in heaven. They always have precedence.
It is related of the Jesuit missionary, Francis Xavier, that once in utter exhaustion he said he must have rest. So he retired to his tent, charging that no matter who came he must not be disturbed. Soon his servant saw the monk’s white face at the tent door, and heard him say, “I made a mistake. If a little child comes, waken me.” That was like Jesus. He was never too weary to give attention to a little child.
On every page of the gospel we see the figure of Jesus standing, reaching out His hands to the children. Indeed, there is no place in His kingdom for any but children. The old must become children again before they can enter the heavenly household. A picture by Watts represents an old man, worn and feeble, lying back in his char, dying. Round him lie the signs of all that he has been doing in his busy life. Then above his head is an angel bearing away his soul, newborn through death, in the form of a baby child. That is the way it must be at last with us all. Before we can enter heaven we must become little children. Of such and of such only is the kingdom.