⚡WEB · Mark 10:14
What does Mark 10:14 mean?
"But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these."
— Mark 10:14 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her.
If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery.”
They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.
Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”
He took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Explanation
Mark 10:14 records Jesus' response to a moment of tension among his disciples. People were bringing children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them, but the disciples tried to turn them away, likely viewing this as an unnecessary interruption to Jesus' more "important" work of teaching adults. When Jesus saw what was happening, he did not merely correct them gently—he was "moved with indignation," a strong term indicating genuine anger or displeasure at his disciples' actions. He then commanded them to let the children come and not hinder them, explaining that the Kingdom of God belongs to "such as these."
This episode takes place within Mark's Gospel, likely written by John Mark based on the preaching of the Apostle Peter, for a Roman audience, probably in the 60s AD. The broader context in Mark 10 involves Jesus teaching on marriage, divorce, and the nature of true discipleship as he travels toward Jerusalem. Children in that culture held little social status; they were considered dependents with no legal standing or ability to contribute economically or socially. The disciples' attempt to shoo them away reflected common assumptions of the time that children were unworthy of a respected teacher's attention. Jesus' anger reveals how strongly he opposed this exclusionary mindset.
Theologically, this verse teaches something essential about the nature of the Kingdom of God: it is not earned through status, achievement, or social importance. Children could offer Jesus nothing in terms of influence, wealth, or wisdom—they came only in dependence and trust. By
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