Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16, NET Bible)
I was moving along in my Bible reading fairly well… until I hit Mark 9 and 10. Now… the Spirit has me camped there and has decided to crush me with the understanding of what Kingdom power is all about… all over again.
Here are a couple of notes I put into this passage from the IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament:
Children were loved but were socially powerless; the high infant mortality rate meant that they were physically powerless as well, many dying before attaining maturity. (In the poorest places, like Egypt, perhaps half of those born died by the age of twelve. Poorer Gentile families often discarded babies if they thought they could not support them.) Eager to get on with the business of setting up the kingdom, the disciples have little time for people who do not wield political power.
And this:
Some thought that the kingdom would be achieved by force of arms; others, by radical moral reform, and so on. But although Jewish people (unlike Greeks) respected humility, no one expected the kingdom to come by becoming powerless like children. The totally powerless can depend on no one but God.
Who do I have time for? Who do I allow to take up my attention?
Where can I be found?
Apprentice 2 Jesus 