“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world…”
Most of us learned that Sunday School song as little kids, and now we teach it to our kids and grandkids. But perhaps we don’t stop to think of the powerful and practical implications of the song. It represents a stunning truth about Jesus and His kingdom.
He was a champion of children.
Remember His strong rebuke of the disciples for acting as if the little ones swarming Him were a nuisance? He said, “’ Let the little children come to me, and don’t prevent them. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.’ And He put his hands on their heads and blessed them” (Matt 9:14).
Moreover, He told His followers that unless they learned simple, humble, and dependent trust as a child has for its parents, “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3).
Jesus’ Charge to Protect Came as a Warning
But perhaps the strongest statement Jesus made of His protective care for children came in a warning: “If any of you causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose his faith, it would be better for you to have a rock tied to your neck and be thrown into the sea … Beware that you don’t look down upon a single one of these little children. For I tell you that in heaven their angels have constant access to my Father” (Matt 18:6-10).
An Undeniable Marker of His Kingdom
We can rightly conclude from Jesus’ heart for children that an undeniable marker of His kingdom coming to a community is that His followers give high priority to protecting, nurturing, valuing, and most of all, loving, as He did, “all the children of the village.” To this end, listen to these encouraging testimonies from a few Petros Network church planters:
“As God has added new members to our fellowship, we have seen a decline in domestic violence against women and children. They are now able to come to church freely and without fear of hostility, unlike what they experienced before we planted the church. Thank you, Petros Network, for standing with us in love.” (Ariebi)
“The abuse of women and children have been eliminated in families as they have become believers.”
(Yekonia)
“God has given us favor with Muslim parents who have now given permission for their children to come to our church.”
(Mugeni)
A high value of the Petros Network is to ensure that children in a village where a church has been planted have access to Jesus and his protective, loving care.
Thank you for partnering with us in this mission so that Jesus’s love for the little children of the world becomes real in their lives. When you give to the mission of Petros Network you are in turn giving to protect children and take the Good News to their village.
Soli Deo Gloria!
