They brought children for him to touch; and the disciples scolded them for that. But when Jesus saw this he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not try to stop them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” And he put his arms round them, laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. (Mark 10, 13 – 16)

To Jesus children are very important. In former times people often assumed that children are just not yet adults or cheap helpers for work. Yet this they are not at all. They are not to be pushed aside since they have not got anything to say yet. From the first day of his life on every child has a very special personality although at the beginning the child still needs all our help. It takes many years until a child grows up and becomes an independent adult. It is the task of us adults though to guide the children and to lead them in a way that they will later be able to manage their lives themselves.

Perhaps it is precisely because children don't yet manage to live on their owns that Jesus decided to protect them in a special way.

Children often have a good instinct and feel what is good or wrong for them or who are good and who are evil people. We adults might have lost this kind of natural feeling due to education and environmental influence. This might be one of the reasons that Jesus says that the kingdom of God belongs to the children. They feel within their hearts that God exists and protects them whereas many adults consider themselves independent and not in need of any help at all.

The fact that many adults are so convinced of themselves made Jesus add this sentence that only those will be able to enter the kingdom of God that will accept it like a child. What does Jesus mean with that?

Young children cannot take care of themselves. They fully trust in the adults. They depend on them and are only able to survive with their help.

Only when we adults, like a child in his parents, put all our trust in God only when we acknowledge that without God's help we are nothing and bound to being lost, only then will we find to God and through Him become happy adults.