The Value of a Child. Luke 18:15-17 What is the value of a person? Is one individual more important than another? What determines the worth of a human life? Some believe that a child’s life has no value unless they think so. Children were marginalized in the ancient world, but even today, when parents often do whatever their children want, society has further diminished the value of a child compared to the past. As a result, millions of children in this country and around the world have been killed in the womb because adults decided a child would interfere with their plans for their own lives. Sinful man’s view of a soul is, “Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” Heaven’s view of a soul is summed up in Jesus' words, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?”
The thoughtlessness of the disciples moved Jesus to make two important points to them. All people, even little children, are important to God. Second, the kingdom of God consists of those who respond to Him with the trust and dependence a little child shows to their parents. Those who sincerely come to God must come in true humility and stay humble because they recognize their need for God in every way and in every part of their lives. Little children depend on their parents for food, safety, shelter, emotional support, and the learning process that will help them grow into mature people someday. We learn how to communicate in different ways from our parents. We learn how to put thoughts into words from those we depend on. How we relate to others, gather information, learn how to act on our thoughts, and the whole practice of living effectively happen because we depend on those we trust and pay attention to, and we do so with simple faith. That is how we must come to God for eternal life.
The faith values of the kingdom of God start with hearing and assembling words so we learn from the scriptures we hear. Depending on the level of understanding we gain from God's word—regardless of a person’s age—when we put faith in the Person speaking to us, we come to know Him through faith. We begin with small, simple expressions like, “I love You! Thank You so much for saving me!” and “Please help me today!”
By grace, because He loves us, God saves us when we trust Him as our Savior from sin. Just as a child receives what is needed from parents to live and grow, so God freely provides us with what we need for salvation and for living here. Sincerity in our words, openness in communication, trust, and reliance on Him without reservation are how we enter the kingdom of God and live with Him daily.
For some reason, the disciples rebuked those who brought the infants to the Lord Jesus. In ancient societies, children were rarely considered to have value in society. Even today, in some places and among certain people, children are not viewed as being as important as adults. To some grown-ups, they are a nuisance and occupy the lowest position in the social hierarchy when it comes to 'status.' Self-important individuals believe that the higher you are on the social scale and the greater your status, the more valuable you are. Those at the bottom of the social hierarchy are not seen as important or valuable in people's eyes.
God doesn’t want us to stay or act childish but to be like children who love and trust Him as part of a family. Five times in these verses, the kingdom of God is mentioned, showing us what truly matters and is valuable to God when it comes to being a child of God. Human power and influence become insignificant and powerless when it comes to entering the kingdom of God. The disciples had heard this radical teaching before, but it had not fully sunk in. The eternal value of a living human being, regardless of who they are, challenges human opinions, and the disciples were no exception.
Based on our human opinions, much of which is learned outside of parental homes, people are considered most valuable at the top of the social hierarchy. The further down a person is placed in society's estimation, the less valuable they are, to the point of even aborting children before they have a chance to live a normal life. In God's kingdom, He starts at the bottom and works upward. Orphan children and widows hold a high priority in God’s kingdom.
Adults who show genuine interest in children will find joy in the attitude and trust of a little child that they may not find in their peers. Parents, however—like our Heavenly Father—love their children and would give their lives if necessary to rescue them from danger. God looks upon each person with love and grace and demonstrated His unparalleled love by sending His only begotten Son to die for our sins. Those who trust and believe in Him without reservation love Him, who first loved us. His value as a person is far higher than ours, but those who put their faith in Him love Him supremely.