Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them, and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. Matthew 19:13
Mothers whose children become noisy to the point of disrupting a worship meeting will take those children outside of the place where the meeting is held. This is proper and considerate. But those same mothers should, as soon as the children are quiet again, return to the meeting, so that the children will learn that the meeting is a place to be, not a place to escape from. Some little children learn early that by making a disturbance, they will be taken to a room where they can play with toys or be entertained. This might produce quiet during the meeting but does the child no good. Such parents are making the same mistake as the disciples did in today’s text.
Let’s not fault the disciples too much. After all, they were concerned about having the Lord Jesus see the most people, and the most urgent people. They were thinking about efficiency, good practical thinking about keeping order and maintaining discipline. After all, those children would be running about, getting in the way, laughing and talking too loud, and asking silly questions. We can’t have that! Is that the right attitude? Do children really have no place among worshiping saints? Are parents who want to have their little children in the Lord’s presence to be rebuked for being inconsiderate?
Yes, noisy children are a distraction. Parents are to be commended for their valiant efforts to keep them subdued. But there is only one place where children can learn to be quiet during a meeting, and that is in the meeting itself. Yes, it takes time, and patience can wear pretty thin while waiting for the children to get the message. But the same Saviour who delighted to see the children gather about himself on the shores of Galilee must surely appreciate them still. If we properly understand the significance of the Lord’s presence in our meetings, we will want the children there, just as the Children of Israel would not go out into the wilderness to worship and leave their children behind in Egypt.
Let us try to see the little children as the Lord Jesus sees them. Let us never rebuke those whose desire for their children is for them to be in His presence and to get to know Him. -Jim MacIntosh