The Time Little Children Interrupted Jesus' Teaching
Jesus was not pleased with His disciple's response.
The Pharisees came to test Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (Mark 10:2).
Jesus answered them by pointing them back to God's original design for marriage at the beginning (Mark 10:5-9). He explained these things further inside a house with his disciples.
In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:10-12)
At this point, little children were brought to Jesus (Mark 10:13).
Here Come the Children.
Can you imagine the scene?
Little children like to run and play. When they get excited, sometimes they make high-pitched squealing sounds. When their curiosity gets the better of them, they will not-so-quietly whisper their question to their mom, dad, or grandparent. If they want to see something or someone better, they like to climb to get a better view - can you imagine little children trying to climb onto something to peek through the window of the house to see Jesus?
To make a long story short, this wasn’t a scene that made it easy to concentrate on Jesus’ answer to religious questions.
The Disciple’s Reaction.
The disciples rebuked or sharply scolded those who brought the little children to Jesus. We can imagine what they might have said to the ones who brought the children.
Jesus is a busy, influential teacher, and you’re bringing children to Him? He doesn’t have the time!
Look, it’s been a long day, and now Jesus is teaching us. Come back another time.
Keep those kids quiet! Have some respect; can’t you see Jesus is teaching?
We don’t know what they really said, but we know whatever they said “greatly displeased” Jesus (Mark 10:14). This doesn’t just mean Jesus didn’t like what the disciples did - He was “pained,” “angry,” and “indignant.”
Jesus told His disciples, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Contrasting the Pharisees and the Little Children.
The little children being brought to Jesus so He could touch and bless them is contrasted with the attitude of the Pharisees who came to Jesus to test Him (Mark 10:2).
While the disciples may have considered the meeting with the Pharisees more important - Our Teacher is getting to sit down and discuss religious matters with some of the most important teachers in all of Israel! - Jesus knew the heart of the religious leaders. He knew their true purpose in coming to Him was to test Him.
There is a pure, humble simplicity seen in the children - their only desire is to come to Jesus to be close to Him and receive a blessing from Him. Jesus said it is people “such as this” who will enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:14-15).
Those like the Pharisees who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” (Luke 18:9) and the Rich Young Ruler who trusted in his riches (Mark 10:17-25) will find it difficult to enter the kingdom of God.
The ones who approach Jesus with their trust in Him, acknowledging their need for Him, are the ones Jesus exalts and blesses.
The ones exalted among men - like the Pharisees and the rich - lack the humility and trust in Jesus to receive His blessing and enter His kingdom.
The children of Israel were the lowest on the social ladder. Jesus spent all His time with those that did not fit the social imperative to prove the care God has for all those disenfranchised by religion.