The world behind the page
Children in the Ancient World
When people bring little children to Jesus, the disciples rebuke them, but Jesus says, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me." His welcome was more startling than it sounds to us.
“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”Matthew 19:14
The reality
The reality. Children in the ancient world were loved by their families, but they held a low place in the public order of society. They had little status, little power, and were counted among the dependent and vulnerable rather than the important. Infant and child mortality was high by our standards; many children did not survive early years, and families knew grief we can scarcely imagine, though we should be cautious about citing exact rates, which are uncertain and varied. Children were expected to be under the authority of their elders, to be taught and to obey, and were not the natural center of public attention or honored dialogue. A rabbi or teacher of standing would not ordinarily be expected to make time for small children in the middle of his work; the disciples' rebuke in the Gospels reflects a common assumption that children were a distraction from serious matters. This does not mean children were unloved within the home; Scripture treats children as a blessing and a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). But in terms of public standing and social weight, children ranked low, near the bottom of the ladder of honor, which is exactly why Jesus' treatment of them was so arresting to those who watched.
Why it matters for reading the Bible
Why it matters for reading the Bible. In Matthew 19:13 to 15 people bring children to Jesus for his touch and blessing, and the disciples rebuke them, assuming this was no fit use of the Master's time. Jesus reverses them entirely: "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Knowing that children ranked low in public status makes this a deliberate overturning of the social order. Elsewhere Jesus sets a child in the midst and says that whoever humbles himself as this little child is greatest in the kingdom, and whoever receives one such child receives him (Matthew 18:2 to 5). He even warns that the little ones' angels always behold the Father's face (Matthew 18:10). Against a world that placed children near the bottom, Jesus places them at the center of his teaching about the kingdom, making the low and dependent the very picture of who belongs to God.
How it helps you see Christ
How it helps you see Christ. Christ welcomed those the world overlooked, and children were among them. When his own disciples tried to keep the little ones away as unworthy of his attention, he was, the Gospel says, displeased (Mark 10:14), and he took them up in his arms and blessed them. He made the child, low in status and utterly dependent, the model of entering the kingdom, for it is received not by the powerful and self-sufficient but by those who come with empty, trusting hands. In this we see the heart of God, who lifts the lowly and receives the weak. The King who welcomed children is the same King who said the kingdom belongs to such as these, and who invites all who will come to him as a child comes, without status, without claim, simply wanting to be near him.
Questions people ask
What was a child's status in the ancient world?
Children were loved within the home but held a low place in the public order, counted among the dependent and vulnerable rather than the important. This is why the disciples assumed they were a distraction.
Why was Jesus welcoming children surprising?
Because a teacher of standing was not expected to give attention to small children in the midst of his work. Jesus overturned this by blessing them and making a child the picture of the kingdom (Matthew 19:14).
Does the Bible value children?
Yes. Even as public status was low, Scripture calls children a blessing and heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), and Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14).