As word of the loving rabbi Jesus spreads through Israel, people begin to bring their children to Jesus that he might bless them. The disciples rebuke them, but Jesus, in turn, rebukes them: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs” (Matt. 19:14). Most scholars interpret this text on the basis of the low social standing of children in the ancient world—children ranked only slightly higher than slaves with regard to status and rights. That Jesus invited them to his side is not particularly unusual given his
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