Suffer children to come to me

St Luke Chapter XVIII : Verses 15-17

Contents

• Luke xviii. Verses 15-17.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate)
• Douay-Rheims 1582 text
• Annotations based on the Great Commentary

Luke xviii. Verses 15-17.

Suffer children to come to me ... for of such is the kingdom of God.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.dd

15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he might touch them. Which when the disciples saw, they rebuked them.

Afferebant autem ad illum et infantes, ut eos tangeret. Quod cum viderent discipuli, increpabant illos.

16 But Jesus, calling them together, said: Suffer children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Jesus autem convocans illos, dixit : Sinite pueros venire ad me, et nolite vetare eos : talium est enim regnum Dei.

17 Amen, I say to you: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a child, shall not enter into it.

Amen dico vobis, quicumque non acceperit regnum Dei sicut puer, non intrabit in illud.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text

15. And they brought vnto him infants also, that he might touch them. Which thing when the Diſciples saw, they rebuked them.

16. But IESVS calling them together, ſaid: Suffer children to come vnto me, and forbid them not, for the Kingdom of Heauen is for ſuch.
17. Amen I ſay to you: Whosoeuer receiueth not the Kingdom of God as a child, ſhal not enter into it.

 

Annotations

[The following notes are from the Great Commentary on St Matthew's treatment of the same incident in Ch xiii. The verse numbers are those from St Luke's account]

    15. And they brought unto him also infants, that he might touch them. Which when the disciples saw, they rebuked them.. Rebuked—because they thought Christ was occupied with more important matters, such as instructing men; and that He must not be called off to attend to little children, as not having the use of reason; and that it was unworthy so great a prophet to busy Himself about children. For little children Luke has (18:15) βρέφη, infants. But infancy lasts until the seventh year.

    Moraliter: let princes here learn from Christ, Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, to make themselves accessible to the poor, to women and children, and graciously to hear and grant their supplications and requests. This was done by several of the Roman emperors, even of those who were heathens. Such was Titus, who, as Suetonius testifies, was wont to say, “No one ought to go away sorrowful after talking with a prince.” And on the day when he had not done a kindness to any one, he groaned and said, “Alas! I have lost a day.” Next there was Trajan, of whom Pliny says in his Panegyric, “Thou dost not suffer citizens to embrace thy feet, nor return a kiss with thine hand. All who approach thee come close to thy side; and it is their own sense of modesty, not thy haughtiness, which puts an end to the conference.” And, a little afterwards: “There is no difficulty in obtaining an audience, there is no delay in giving an answer: forthwith they are heard, forthwith they receive a reply.” Then there was Alexander Severus, of whom Lampridius says: “So great was his moderation, that no one was ever removed from his side; he made himself so bland and affable to all men, that he used to visit not only his friends of the first and second ranks, but the sick of even a lower degree.” Lastly, of the Christian emperors, Pacatus says to Theodosius in his Panegyric, “When the people are waiting for you, you make it plain not only that you are willing to be seen, but easy of approach. You receive from him who is nearest to you the petitions of all your people.”

    that he might touch them; that by this imposition of hands He might bless them, and so implore Divine grace for them, that they might grow up to be wise and holy men. That this was an ancient practice of the Hebrews is gathered from Gen. xlviii.14, where Jacob—extending his arms in such a way as to form the figure of a cross—blessed the two young sons of Joseph. See also Ecclus. iii. 11: “The father's blessing establisheth the houses of the children: but the mother's curse rooteth up the foundation.” From Christ has been derived the custom among Christians, that lay people, and especially children, should ask a blessing from their elders and from priests. This is the case in Belgium, where boys will run up to the priests and religious men, and ask them to sign them with the sign of the cross. They are taught to do this both by the catechists and by their parents. Remigius says this was a custom among the Jews before the time of Christ. The great Sir Thomas More, the glory of England and a martyr, when he was Lord High Chancellor, publicly asked his aged father to give him his blessing, as Stapleton testifies. Moreover, the Church uses this ceremony of imposition of hands in Baptism, Orders, Penance, and whenever heretics are received into the Church. It is to pray for and obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost.

     17. But Jesus, calling them together, said: Suffer children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Victor of Antioch mentions five natural endowments why Christ has so great a love for the little ones. 

👉  “The mind of a child is pure, and free from all vicious passions. It does not remember injuries, nor meditate upon revenge. In like manner, although a child may be severely chastised by his mother, yet will he run to her before any one else, and is attached to her more than to any other woman. And if you should show him a queen with a diadem upon her head, in no wise would he prefer her to its mother clothed in rags. It would rather see his mother clothed in rags than a queen in her royal apparel. Then a child requires nothing more than nature demands. Thus as soon as he is satisfied, he leaves his mother’s breasts. Moreover he is never grieved at the loss of those things, of which we make so great account, such as money and jewels, Lastly, he is not carried away by corporeal beauty, as other human beings are. Wherefore the Lord said, of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly by them does He admonish us, that we should do such things by the firm choice of our own will, which little children do by natural endowment.” (On Mark x. 13.) 

    Thus Christ chose out and blessed when they were children, S. Edmund, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, S. Nicholas, S. Catharine of Siena, and other eminent saints. When Gelasius was a boy he found his little brother, S. Ophilus, praying in his chamber, and a company of angels talking with him. He saw them with his own eyes, and heard a voice saying, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven. As he became older he grew in holiness, and like a fruitful olive tree in the house of the Lord, he brought forth abundant fruit, and thus in his early youth, he passed to Christ. S. Babylas, Patriarch of Antioch, and an illustrious martyr under the Emperor Numerianus, being by him condemned to death, desired that three boys, whom he had brought up in faith and piety might be beheaded before him, lest they should be led astray. He offered them to Christ as innocent victims, and said, “Behold I and the children, whom the Lord hath given me for a sign.” Thus it is in his Life in Surius.

    Learn from hence with what care children ought to be brought up, and instructed, that they may remain pure, for “the newly made jar long preserves the savour of what it first contains.”

    S. Basil proves the advantages of early religious training from these words of Christ. He asks (in Reg. Disputat. interrog. 292), “Is it fitting that a master of boys living in the world should be a Brother? He answers in the affirmative. Let the Lord’s command be kept, Suffer the little children to come unto Me.” For young children go forth amongst the adult members of society, and what they have learnt in youth, they retain in old age. Children are the nursery of the Church and of the commonwealth.

    for of such is the kingdom of God.  Syriac, Of those who are like them. 

    18. Amen, I say to you: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a child, shall not enter into it. Christ’s meaning here is as though He said, “It is not beneath My dignity to bless young children, because through My blessing they are made fit for the Kingdom of Heaven, whilst you, O ye adult Jews, who have often heard Me teaching are unfitted for it on account of your pride, and your other vices by which you have become callous. Wherefore in order that ye may become fit, ye must become like unto these little ones.” Hear S. Ambrose (lib. 8, in cap. 18 Luc.): “This age is weak in physical strength, and immature in mind and judgment. It is not therefore childhood which is meant, so much as the goodness which emulates childhood’s simplicity.” And a little afterwards, speaking symbolically, “Who is the child which is to be imitated by the Apostles of Christ? It is He of whom Isaiah speaks, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. For it is that Child who saith to thee, Take up thy Cross, and follow Me. And that thou mayest recognise who He is—when He was reviled, He reviled not again, when He was smitten, He smote not back. Here is perfect virtue. Therefore there is in childhood a kind of venerable character of old age, and in old age an innocent childhood.” From hence it is plain that the Anabaptists are wrong in keeping children away from Baptism, and so from Christ and the kingdom of heaven, on the ground that infants have not the use of reason, and therefore cannot believe. For although they may not have the act of faith, they may have the habit of faith. Because a habit (habitus) of faith, and grace and charity is infused into them by Baptism. They believe moreover in act by the faith of the Church, i.e., of their parents, and the faithful of the Church, who often exercise acts of faith on behalf of themselves and all who belong to them.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.