Study Desk

Then he said, "The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don't do this, you will never enter God's kingdom.

"If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the deep sea.

"Be careful. Don't think these little children are not important. I tell you that these children have angels in heaven. And those angels are always with my Father in heaven.

in the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little children to be lost.

He was not able to pay the money to his master, the king. So the master ordered that he and everything he owned be sold, even his wife and children. The money would be used to pay the king what the servant owed.

There are different reasons why some men don't marry. Some were born without the ability to produce children. Others were made that way later in life. And others have given up marriage because of God's kingdom. This is for anyone who is able to accept it."

Then the people brought their little children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them and pray for them. When the followers saw this, they told the people to stop bringing their children to him.

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because God's kingdom belongs to people who are like these children."

After Jesus blessed the children, he left there.

Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left. And they will have eternal life.

The leading priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he was doing. And they saw the children praising him in the Temple area. The children were shouting, "Praise to the Son of David." All this made the priests and the teachers of the law angry.

They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" He answered, "Yes. The Scriptures say, ‘You have taught children and babies to give praise.' Have you not read that Scripture?"

They said, "Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother.

There were seven brothers among us. The first brother married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman.

In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married right up to the day Noah entered the boat.

The people answered, "We will take full responsibility for his death. You can blame us and even our children!"

Jesus told the woman, "It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want."

She answered, "That is true, Lord. But the dogs under the table can eat the pieces of food that the children don't eat."

"Whoever accepts children like these in my name is accepting me. And anyone who accepts me is also accepting the one who sent me."

"If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the sea.