Jesus' well-being was important to His followers. They often tried to "run interference" for Him to protect Him from the constant onslaught of people seeking Him out. While well-meaning, I think they were sometimes so caught up in the things of the world that they did not fully understand Him or His mission.
One day some little children in the group crowded around Him and the disciples tried to send them away. Don't the know He is a busy man? He has more important things to do than to talk to a bunch of children. The Savior of the world stopped and gave the disciples an attitude adjustment when He said: Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God. (Luke 18: 16)
In the words of C. S. Lewis, Jesus understood, as His followers did not, that children are not a distraction from more important work; they are the most important things.
Christ's entire mission was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1: 39) through His teachings, His example, and His atonement. This is done best if we begin with the children. Children are humble. They are teachable. They are observant and most easily follow the examples set for them. Anyone who interacts with children should set the best example he can.
A word about the word suffer as used in the scriptures. Today, we equate suffering with pain and punishment, but in the archaic meaning of the word, suffer means to allow, permit, sanction, give one's blessing to, give assent. (Bing: online dictionary)
King Benjamin uses the word in the same way. After admonishing his people to repent of their own sins, he tells them they must teach those things to the children by precept and example. Said he:
And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy of all righteousness. (Mosiah 4: 14)
Let us look closely at this verse. It tell us that teaching our children to understand God's commandments and keep them is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. I think Benjamin is saying that this should go without saying, just as feeding and clothing them should go without saying. It takes more than that. He reminds them that Satan, our common adversary, is seeking to make all men miserable like he is. He doesn't "wait until they are old enough to choose" if they want to have "religion" or not; he begins a.s.a.p.! Children have to be carefully taught correct principles from birth onward and they need to see those principles modeled by those entrusted with their care. I remember my parents teaching me to pray, but not lesson had such an impact on my little heart and walking, unannounced, into my mother's bedroom one day and seeing her kneeling by her bed. If I close my eyes, I can see her face and the silken comforter that was always folded at the end of her bed. Even after 70 years, that memory is as clear as yesterday.
Now to the next part: avoiding contention, anger, quarreling, and the like. What do we, as parents, do when we confront contention amongst our children? One thing I have seen all too often is the parent adding to the contention by yelling at the children to stop yelling at each other! And that teaches . . .? I could never understand a parent hitting a child in response to the child hitting his brother. Just as my mother's example of prayer was more powerful than her words, so a parent's example of calm, patience, and unconditional love speak volumes.
I believe that the Lord was talking to parents as well as to priesthood holders when He said: No power or influence can or ought to be maintained . . . only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile- Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards and increase of love toward him whom thou has reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy. (Doctrine and Covenants 121: 41-42)
Love - unconditional and unfeigned. We are admonished to teach the children to walk in ways of truth and soberness; [we] will teach them to love on another, and to serve one another. (Mosiah 3: 17) They learn it best when they see it exemplified in our behavior.
Love - unconditional and unfeigned. We are admonished to teach the children to walk in ways of truth and soberness; [we] will teach them to love on another, and to serve one another. (Mosiah 3: 17) They learn it best when they see it exemplified in our behavior.
Be a lighthouse, not a foghorn!
- © Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson, April 2020
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