I've read and heard many (contradictory) interpretations of what Jesus meant. Scholars and pastors run wild with the child analogy Jesus used. I understand. Talking up children's innocence, spontaneity, eagerness, or joy is tempting. And children are incredible—gifts from God—but Jesus wasn't praising a virtue he saw in children. As someone once said, "There are two types of people in the world. Those who think mankind is essentially good at the core, and those who have a toddler."

What does this mean? We must recall how the disciples felt about Jesus, the kingdom, and these children to answer this question. They thought he was the Messiah, meaning they thought he would pick up King David's reign and make Israel a super-nation. They thought the kingdom was Israel only, meaning they were hoping for an immediate and external reign of Christ. And they thought these children were small and insignificant—merely kids in need of others to care for them—not worthy of the glory of the kingdom.