A rebuke and a reminder...

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15 ESV) In just the last chapter, Jesus had used a child to illustrate a major faith lesson, and told the disciples to emulate that example. Yet, here, they are still demonstrating the culture of the old Kingdom - the kingdom of this world, that Children are a bother and not a blessing. Our mindset, our worldview, needs constant reminder and remolding. We need to remember that following Jesus is counter-culture - that we are pilgrims on a journey, learning every day what it means to follow Jesus. May we not be thick-skulled or hard-hearted as He speaks to us today, renewing our mind, rebuking our failures, reshaping our lives.