by David Scott Robertson
(Mark 9:36 NIV) He [Jesus] took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,
(Mark 9:37 NIV) "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."
I’m intrigued by this short encounter that Jesus has with an unnamed child.
We don’t know the little boy’s name,
But we know that the child was quite literally touched by God.
Can you imagine what it must have been like
To be taken in the arms of Christ Jesus and physically held?
As I read my Bible,
One quick, light touch of the Master’s hand cured any and every disease.
I like to think that Jesus smiled tenderly at the lad.
Jesus must have been a warm and inviting Person to the child as He made eye contact with him
That caused the child to willingly come to Jesus and let Him hold him.
You know how kids can be if they are intimidated by an adult.
Jesus sure intimidated his share of adults so much so that they wanted to rid the earth of Him.
But this little boy was not intimidated in the least
And came to Christ freely, fearlessly, joyfully.
I also wonder what long-term impact this encounter with the Lord had on the young man.
I wonder if the child,
Then or later in his life,
Realized that God has used him as an object lesson to teach the world
About how God wants people to come to Him.
I’m curious what his parent(s) might have told him about being held by Jesus.
I wonder what friends or neighbors who were on the scene told the boy
As each described how the very Son of God scooped him up in His arms for a few minutes.
I can’t help but think that the child’s destiny was altered by this one brief encounter.
Whether or not Jesus verbally “blessed” the little one before He let him go is not known.
But just being lovingly held in the arms of Christ,
I should think,
Would allow for a transfer of a measure of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Do you think the little boy grew up to be a man of God?
Do you think He might have joined Messiah’s Band?
Did he become a follower of The Way?
Did the nameless child grow up to be mentioned by name in scripture later on?
Only God knows.
I have an idea that this little boy’s life on earth and eternal destiny
Was forever changed by this one brief encounter with Christ.
DSR
9/21/01