Christ with the Children (Matthew 19:13-14)

Two of my favorite attributes about Christ are that (1) He takes time out of His busy day to allow for spontaneous moments to uplift others; and (2) He will meet with all types of people (old/young, rich/poor, good/bad, etc...). I think this passage also shares a powerful lesson on parenting that I'll touch on at the end.

In Matthew 19, Christ is teaching the multitude when children were brought unto Him to pray with Him. The nearby disciples rebuked the children as if to say that they are just getting in the way of Christ's sermon and are taking time away from the adults. Jesus' gentle response is wonderful: "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven."

Although I am not yet a parent, if there is a moment when I initially refuse to spend a meaningful, spontaneous experience with my son/daughter, then I hope to recall how Christ made time for the children, even when others wanted to brush them away.

In 3rd Nephi 17:21 from the Book of Mormon, the Savior concludes a beautiful sermon by blessing all of the little children, "one by one", until all had shared a moment with Jesus. There may have been hundreds of children, but that did not deter Christ from spending time with each and every one. Selfless love is a beautiful thing. We too can spend time with Christ as we study His life.

Regarding parenting and helping children to follow the Savior, I particularly like this talk from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

Sketch based on "Christ and the Children" by Harry Anderson.