Luke 18:16
“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This scene appears in Luke 18 between the parable of the Pharisee and publican and the account of the rich young ruler, illustrating the humble, dependent way the kingdom is received.
What Does Luke 18:16 Mean?
Jesus is welcoming little children to Himself and insisting they not be turned away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like them. The disciples had been rebuking those who brought infants to Jesus, perhaps thinking children too unimportant to take His time. Jesus overturns that judgment completely, calling the children to Himself and rebuking the rebuke.
"Suffer" here is the older English for "allow" or "permit," so Jesus is saying, let them come, and do not hinder them. The word for "little children" can include infants, the most dependent and least able to earn or achieve anything. That is precisely the point. When Jesus says "of such is the kingdom of God," He means the kingdom is received by those who come with the openness, trust, and dependence of a child -- not by those who arrive with credentials or self-sufficiency. The placement is deliberate: this scene sits between the parable of the proud Pharisee and humble tax collector and the story of the rich ruler who could not let go of his wealth. Children become a living illustration of how anyone enters the kingdom -- emptyhanded and trusting. The reader is invited both to value the young as Jesus did and to come to Him with that same childlike readiness.
In the Original Language
"Suffer" renders aphiemi, to permit or let go. "Little children" is paidion (and the related brephos in v.15), terms that can include infants and the youngest dependents.
Cross References
“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
- Matthew 18:3
“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
- Mark 10:14
“Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.”
- Luke 18:17
Application
Come to Jesus with the unguarded trust of a child, bringing nothing to earn His welcome. And take seriously the worth He places on the young and the dependent.