What's the best thing for kids? Jesus answers that directly in Mark 9 and Mark 10 — and it's not what the disciples expected. In this sermon from our Mark My Words series, we walk through three truths every parent, grandparent, and kids ministry volunteer needs to hear: welcoming a child means welcoming Jesus himself, causing a child to stumble puts you in serious danger, and the kingdom of God belongs to those who come like little ones. If you care about raising kids in the faith, pointing families to the gospel, or just figuring out what childlike faith actually looks like — this one's for you
"The best thing for kids is to bring them to Jesus.
The best thing for you is to come like one."
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. — Mark 10:14
What's the best thing for kids?
Mark 9:35 — "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.'"
Mark 9:36–37 — "He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.'"
• "Welcomes" means receive, make room for, take in, give time to.
→ Greatness isn't climbing up — it's bending down to someone who can't do anything for you in return.
Mark 9:42 — "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea."
Mark 9:43, 45, 47–48 — "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where 'the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
• "Stumble" (Gk. skandalizo) — when your sin takes someone else down with it.
• Mark places the hand/foot/eye warning directly after the millstone saying — same conversation.
→ Your personal sin is not personal — it has collateral damage, and the smallest ones catch it first.
Mark 10:13–16 — "People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."
• The twist: This whole sermon is about what adults do for children — and Jesus flips it. You're God's kid at any age.
• A child doesn't perform to be held. A child doesn't earn it. A child just reaches up and receives.
→ The way in isn't climbing — it's opening your hands and receiving what Jesus is offering.
Jesus places children at the center of his kingdom. Not as an afterthought, but as the model. We are called to welcome them, to guard against causing them to stumble, and to bring them to him. And in doing so, we discover the posture God asks of every one of us: not performing, not earning, but receiving, carried into the arms of a Savior who is still blessing his children today.
The child in the ancient world was a non-person, without status or rights. By taking the child in his arms, Jesus demonstrates that the kingdom of God is especially for such as these. The embrace of Jesus signifies the acceptance and blessing of God. The child becomes a paradigm for discipleship: receiving the kingdom as a gift, not as an achievement.
— David E. Garland
The child is a living parable of the nature of true discipleship. In the world of that time a child was a person of no importance, subject to the authority of others, not taken seriously except as a legal entity… Jesus here uses the child to illustrate the meaning of the new order of relationships which he has inaugurated. Acceptance of the child in Jesus' name is the test of acceptance of Jesus and of the Father, and at the same time the test of a man's acceptance of the new order. The new order is for those who are prepared to become like children, to accept the child's status, to welcome the child as representative of the new order.
— R.T. France
The term 'stumble' does not refer to a minor misstep but to a fall into sin and unbelief. To cause a 'little one' to stumble is to erect a barrier that prevents them from entering the kingdom or to lead them into a way of life that contradicts the gospel. The severity of the punishment underscores the gravity of the offense. It is better to endure any earthly suffering than to face the eternal consequences of causing others to sin.
— Thomas R. Schreiner
The child is a concrete example of the 'least of these' who represent Jesus himself. To welcome a child is to welcome Jesus, and to welcome Jesus is to welcome God. This saying radicalizes the concept of hospitality, extending it to those who cannot repay the favor and who occupy the lowest rung of the social ladder. It is a call to unconditional love and service.
— Klyne Snodgrass
The millstone saying is one of the most severe warnings in the Gospels. It highlights the corporate nature of sin and its devastating effects on the community. No one sins in a vacuum; our actions invariably impact others. To lead a believer into sin is to sabotage the work of God in their life, a crime of eternal consequence.
— Douglas J. Moo
Jesus' action of taking the children into his arms and blessing them is a tangible expression of God's grace. It signifies that the kingdom is received, not achieved. Just as children are dependent on others for care and provision, so disciples are dependent on God for everything. The kingdom belongs to those who recognize their helplessness and rely wholly on God's mercy.
— Sinclair B. Ferguson
The child in Mark 9 is an object lesson in the reversal of values that characterizes the kingdom of God. The pursuit of greatness, as defined by the world, is antithetical to discipleship. True greatness is found in embracing the status of a servant and identifying with those whom society disregards. In the economy of the kingdom, the last are first.
— Timothy Keller
Pastor Sam Sutter
Sam@bbcconline.com
3/15/25
"The best thing for kids is to bring them to Jesus. The best thing for you is to come like one."
