Make Di Children Come

One mother carry her small pikin put for her waist. One father hold one small hand tight. Dem dey push through di crowd go meet Jesus. And then one disciple stand for dem front and talk say, no be now.

Jesus don leave Galilee for back. E dey travel go south, enter di area of Judea and cross di Jordan, for di road wey go lead am reach Jerusalem. Anywhere wey e go, crowds dey gather, and as e dey always do, e dey teach dem. Serious talk dey go on. Experts for religion don come with hard questions to test am. Im disciples dey discuss wetin Jesus mean, dey ask am questions for private. Dese na busy days, important days. And for di middle of all dis, people begin bring dem children come.

Dem no bring dem make e teach dem or test dem. Mark say dem want make Jesus touch dem. Imagine am: mothers and fathers, maybe grandparents too, dey carry babies wey dem wrap for cloth, dey lead small ones wey don tire from di waka, senior brothers and sisters dey follow from back. Some of di children dey shy, dem hide for back of dem parents. Some dey struggle make dem drop dem for ground. All wetin dem want na make dis teacher wey everybody dey talk about put im hands on top of dem children and bless dem.

But di disciples see dem dey come, and dem stand for road. Dem rebuke di people. You fit imagine how e sound: no be now, carry dem go, di Master dey busy. Maybe dem think say dem dey protect Jesus. Maybe dem think say children go only disturb di real work. Whatever be dem reason, dem turn di parents back, and di children with dem. For di mind of di disciples, di important people na di grown-ups wey get serious questions.

And Jesus see am. Mark tell us one strong thing here: Jesus vex. No be small annoyance. E no happy with im own disciples. Make di small children come meet me, e talk. No stop dem. Di kingdom of God na for people like dese. And then e go further. I tell una di truth: anybody wey no go receive di kingdom of God like small pikin, e no go ever enter am. Dem just tell di disciples say di same children wey dem drive go na di correct picture of how person suppose come to God.

Wetin e mean to receive di kingdom like pikin? Christians don give plenty answers. Children dey trust. Dem know say dem need help. Dem no dey pretend say dem work for di gifts wey dem receive. Dem just stretch out dem hands. And then Jesus do exactly wetin di parents ask, and pass am. E carry di children for im arms. E put im hands on top of dem, one after di other. And e bless dem. No pikin remain. Nobody too small, too young, or make too much noise for Jesus.

To put hand on top of person to bless am na very old custom for Israel. For Genesis, when old Jacob dey bless im grandchildren, di two boys of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, e stretch out im hands and put dem on top of dem head. Parents for di time of Jesus go know dat story well. When dem ask Jesus make e touch dem children, dem dey ask for something wey old and precious: di favour of God wey dem talk over dem sons and daughters.

Make di children come. You go find am for Mark chapter ten, verse thirteen to sixteen. Di disciples think say children fit wait. Jesus talk say na dem be di ones wey we go learn from. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How e go be for you to come meet Jesus with open hands, just like small pikin?