Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Blessing the Children,” pp. 511-517; “The Temple Cleansed Again,” p. 592, in The Desire of Ages. “Baptism”, pp. 93-95, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6; “Bible Teaching and Study,” pp. 185-186 in Education.

“It is still true that children are the most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance [...]

Read Mark 10:13-16. How does Christ’s acceptance of children facilitate their acceptance of Him? How should His rebuke of the disciples be understood? What must we take away from this account for ourselves and how we relate to children?

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Surely Christ’s disciples were well-intentioned, although ignorant. They attempted to protect His valuable time, preserving His energy for more important matters. How greatly they misunderstood what Jesus wanted them to know.

Imagine being forsaken by gruff adults [...]

Analyze the following texts: Matthew 11:25-26; Matt. 18:1-6, Matt. 18:10-14. What truths, not just about children but about faith in general, can we learn through these stories? Think about just how harsh Jesus’ warning was here. Why should we tremble before it?

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There exists a unique genuineness within children that Jesus frequently appealed to when illustrating His kingdom. Their genuineness, humility, dependency, and innocence somehow capture the essence of Christian living. How we should all [...]

Read the following passages: Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 7:24-30, Luke 9:37-43, John 4:46-54. Whose children were restored in these stories? How are these children’s backgrounds similar? What differences might you detect? What lessons can we learn from these texts that can help us today?

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In all of these stories, one overwhelming similarity is that, in each case, a desperate parent came to Jesus, seeking help for a child. What parent cannot relate? What parent hasn’t felt [...]

Hebrew children enjoyed special treatment when compared with their ancient counterparts from surrounding nations. Child sacrifice as divine appeasement had permeated many cultures. Otherwise, children’s value was often measured by their economic contribution to society. Work productivity, not intrinsic worth, defined their relationship with the adult world. It is painful to say, but some of these attitudes, especially when it comes to economic worth, are found even in our present world. Truly, the day of wrath must come.

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