Saturday of the 19th week in Ordinary Time

Let the Children Come: Embracing the Kingdom with Humble Hearts

In the Gospel of Matthew 19:13-15, we witness a tender moment between Jesus and the children. The disciples, perhaps thinking they were protecting their Master or reserving His time for more ‘important’ things, attempt to keep the children away. But Jesus rebukes them, saying, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ This brief yet profound scene reflects the heart of Christ, who values simplicity, innocence, and trust.

Children, in their humility and dependence, represent the disposition we must have to enter the Kingdom of God. They do not come to the Lord with achievements or merits; they come as they are, with open hearts. Jesus does not only allow them to come; He lays His hands on them, blessing them—something profoundly intimate and affirming of their dignity.

The Early Church Fathers also preached on the beauty of such simplicity and trust. St. John Chrysostom, in discussing this passage, reminds us: ‘Let us then be like the children, and imitate their freedom from pride and spite. Nothing is so humble, nothing so free from vanity as a child. If you honor humility, if you pursue simplicity, you have a ready example in children.’

The lesson for us today is clear: in a world that prizes independence, accomplishment, and status, the Lord lifts up the humble heart that loves, trusts, and depends on Him. We are called to strip away our pride and come to Christ with the same openness as a child. This does not mean we are to be childish, but childlike — open to grace, eager for His embrace, and ready to trust in His mercy.

Let us ask the Lord to renew in us that childlike faith — trusting not in our own strength, but in His love. And may we never hinder others, especially the weak and the small, from approaching the Lord, but instead lead them to Him with joy, knowing that ‘to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’