But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16
The compassionate kindness of Jesus has been unparalleled in human history. The attributes of compassion and kindness are illustrated by many scenes from His short ministry, but they perhaps find the best portrait in His relationship with children.
The Bible shows how Jesus welcomed small children into His busy schedule of ministry. He said to His disciples, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (NKJV; Mark 10:14-15). He healed children (John 4:46-52), cast demons out of them (Mark 7:25-30 and Mark 9:17-27), raised them to life again (Luke 8:41-55), and referenced them as examples of how we must participate in His kingdom (Matthew 18:2-4). A well-known song from the past century declares it so well: “Jesus loves the little children . . . they are precious in His sight!”
We live in a disposable age. There is throw-away packaging on nearly every item purchased; appliances now have much shorter lifespans; tastes, colors and fashions change in rapid succession; and, sadly, relationships follow this same pattern. Even children, the most vulnerable and innocent among us, are often viewed as disposable commodities by the sin-hardened culture around us.
Abortion, abuse, and neglect of children are scourges of our day, and they characterize the sinfulness and selfishness of a society estranged from God. Jesus taught us to love children, to care for them, and to mimic them in various ways. And He gave us the example we ought to follow by the continual ways He valued them. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us . . .” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Children are precious! Babies are precious, toddlers are precious, school-aged children are precious, and the unborn are precious. No matter what culture and no matter the gender or social status, children deserve to be loved and valued—every single one of them! They are God’s gifts to humanity, and He showed us how to care for them when Jesus welcomed them into His presence. “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3).
4 Responses
It should be like Jesus DOES NOT DID
Good point!
Since a one-celled fertilized egg, a blastocyte, a zygote, and even a fetus, ARE NOT CHILDREN, your listing of Abortion among the “scourges of our day” is FALSE!
But here’s the REAL point: will those so eager to ban Abortion be willing to put their MONEY where their mouths (and supposed “morals”) are? Will they help pay for the housing, nutrition, clothing, healthcare, and education of all the children they FORCE mothers to give birth to, or (like Pilate) having pressed that “crown of thorns” on others, will they wash their hands and walk away? My money’s on the latter.
So until those who oppose Abortion are willing to pay for the consequences of what they want, I can’t hear you over your hypocrisy!
It may be debated exactly when an egg becomes “human.” Still, since human life is infinitely valuable, it would seem like an easy consensus that we should minimize the risk of inadvertently killing young humans as much as possible. In criminal law, a person is held accountable for causing the death of another human on various grounds, including unintentional deaths caused by negligence and recklessness. In other words, you are morally responsible not only for what you know but for what you could have known and should have known.
Any reasonable possibility that a fertilized egg constitutes human existence should end the discussion on abortion. I’m curious what you would say the point is that “a once-celled fertilized egg, a blastocyte, a zygote, or even a fetus” does become a child?
Nearly all states recognize that unborn children are more than just blobs of protein, and therefore have fetal homicide laws on their books. According to the NCSL website;
https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/fetal-homicide-state-laws.aspx
In addition to these 38 state’s laws on fetal homicide, there is also a federal law called the “Unborn Victims of Violence Act”. You read about it on Wikipedia or anywhere else. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unborn_Victims_of_Violence_Act
There are numerous case studies of individuals who have been sentenced on the basis of these laws. If, as you say, fetuses are not children, then a man who beats a woman who is 8 1/2 months pregnant so that her fetus dies should not be held accountable for murder?
As to your “REAL” point, I absolutely agree. Those fighting abortion should be on the front lines of foster care, adoptions, and support programs for single mothers. You are also correct that this is not always the case, although many ministries and individuals are. Gospel Billboard’s parent organization is Christian Aid Ministries, and you can read about our aid programs on our website, https://christianaidministries.org/programs/