Study Desk

The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David." But the leaders were indignant.

They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.'"

"Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name.'

Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.

And all the people yelled back, "We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!"

Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.

Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.

"Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News,

will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

"Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name.

Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her.

This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died.

"A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.

They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly."