Children in Crisis / Bible Basics

Bible Basics

Do you know how high the gates of heaven are?

I believe they are low. So low that adults have to bend down to the height of a child to enter. But for the children it's easy: they can enter heaven standing upright (Luke 18:16-17). What does the Bible say about children?

Children are a reward from God (Psalm 127:3)

In the days of Jesus, children had a lower position in society than women. Until they were twelve years of age, they were regarded as worthless, except perhaps for the help they could give in the home or at work. Jesus not only spent much time with the social fringe population like prostitutes and sick people, but also with women and children. He put in a lot of effort to change society's opinion about children.

Children:

should pray and worship:
Children can praise God (Matthew 21:16) and silence the enemy with their prayers. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise, because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger (Psalm 8:2).

have tasks:
In the Bible children have often done very important tasks. Miriam helped to save her brother Moses (Exodus 2:4-9). Young Samuel shared God's revelation with Eli (1 Samuel 3). Jehoash became king of Judahat the age of seven (2 Kings 12:1). And a young slave girl from Israel helped to save Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, from leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-3).

In the New Testament Jesus provided food for thousands of people when a boy had remembered to bring some bread and fish (John 6:9). The girl Rhoda announced the wonderful presence of Peter in a prayer meeting (Acts 12:13-14). And Paul's young nephew did his best to save Paul from an attack, when Paul was arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 23:16-19).

And let us not forget that Jesus' own mother was no older than 16 or 17 years of age when Jesus was born: God used a teenager to bring the Savior of humankind into the world!

have plans of God:
God has great plans for children and wants to give them hope: "For I know the plans I have for you (children)," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Jesus:

had time:
Jesus took time for children. "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. "...And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them (Mark 10:14 and 16). He never took anyone else in His arms like that!

was angry:
Jesus was angry when the disciples tried to keep the children from Him: When Jesus saw this, he was indignant... (Mark 10:14). The word 'indignant' is Greek for 'grieve very much'. In the whole New Testament it was only used this once.

| Top |

prayed:
When the children came to Jesus they were met with open arms. They were hugged and received His blessing (Mark 10:16). Here, a prefix was added to the Greek word for 'blessing', which increases the power of the word to 'bless very much'. Jesus prayed for these children with great energy!

warned:
Jesus gave a strong warning to those that wanted to destroy the faith of a child: ...it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6).

identified:
Jesus identified with the children: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers (children) of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:35-36 and 40).

encouraged:
Jesus affirmed the children when they shouted Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew 21:15-16). The root of this 'Hosanna' is 'God, save us!'. The children cried out for salvation!

As God's servants we should:

• take time for the children of this world;
• get angry when we see that people exploit children and keep them from God;
• fervently pray for the children:

"My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city... Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin, pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street... Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them." (Lamentations 2:11, 19 and 4:4).

• warn those that lead children astray;
• identify ourselves with the children;
• encourage and affirm children.