FROM THE TREE TO THE CROSS

The event when Jesus Blesses the Children is recorded three times.
(Matthew 19:13–15;  Luke 18:15–17)

(Mark 10:13-16)
13. Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15. Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16. And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.

This scripture is one of those moments that is easy to overlook and read as simply a lesson about children being allowed to come near to Jesus, and for us to become like children with a trusting and innocent heart in order to enter his kingdom, but hiding in plain sight is a symbolic revelation that holds a deep connection with the events in Genesis.

From the very beginning the blessing was passed down from father to son starting with Adam who received the blessing directly from God, as well as Noah and his three sons who received the blessing from God after the world was cleansed by a flood.   Abraham who disregarded the gods of his father in order to follow the command of the one true God was also given the blessing and promised that he would become the father of many nations. Over time the traditions of men had become that the firstborn son would receive the blessing and favor, but God has no respect for men’s traditions, he had different plans for his chosen people that would involve many lessons in humility.

And so began the repeating pattern of the younger being chosen by God and blessed over the first born.

Abel over Cain
Isaac over Ishmael
Jacob over Esau
Joseph over his older brothers
Ephraim over Manasseh

This is no small coincidence, it is an intentional lesson in humility because man thought he could determine or dictate God’s favor and blessing, so instead God gave his blessing to the younger.

This pattern repeated once again in the Blessing of Jesus given to the young children. Why were the disciples preventing the children from coming to Jesus to receive his blessing?  They had been known to argue over who was the greatest of them and who would sit at the right and left of Jesus. They were human, they were jealous, and this instance of children receiving the blessing from Jesus was not any different. They were the first!   They should be the ones receiving the blessing.  And so they tried to stop them but Jesus once again taught them a lesson in humility, he would not allow their jealousy to take away the blessings meant for the children of the next generation, and rebuked them for trying. Not only would the blessing not be taken away from the children but they were told that they must become like them in order to receive the blessing and enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus did finally bless the disciples as he was ascending into heaven in Luke 24:51 which means their hearts did finally become unhardened and no longer filled with jealousy and pride but only because the master continuously taught them to let go of their own desires,  plans and expectations and rely instead on the will of God no matter how humbling it required them to be.