Jesus Loves the Little Children

“Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

Written by Georg Frick Root / Woolston

How are children valued? Sometimes in our hurried adult lives, we may casually disregard them and consider their needs a nuisance. In the process of “getting it all done,” we forget to make time to patiently focus on these little ones.

I confess that I’m guilty. When my girls were preschool age, I remember being distracted by daily busyness. After having called to me several times, my younger daughter would take my face in her two small hands and look me straight in the eye. She made sure I tuned her in and listened to what she wanted. That approach worked.

Jesus ministered to the children.

What about Jesus? When He walked the earth, He ministered to individuals as well as to crowds of thousands. It’s nice to know that in an adult world, Jesus didn’t forget the children. In fact, He reminded and sometimes reprimanded His disciples about how important they are (Matthew 19:13-15 NKJV).

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus ministered healing to children.

Jesus also ministered healing to several children. In Matthew 17:14-18, He healed a boy from epilepsy.

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.’

Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

Additionally, the mother of a demon-possessed gentile girl persuaded Jesus to extend his healing kindness to her daughter. We read about it in Matthew 15:22-28.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.‘

But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’

But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’

But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’

And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’

Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Raised From the Dead

Not only did Jesus heal, but he also raised a little girl from the dead (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26).

While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.’ So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, ‘Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.’ And they ridiculed Him. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all that land.

Who is the greatest?

Then the disciples discussed greatness. When Jesus asked who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, His disciples were caught off guard at His answer (Matthew 18:2-5).

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.‘

In Matthew 15:16, the chief priests and scribes complained about the children praising Jesus. Jesus rebuked them by quoting scripture from Psalm 8:2 in defense of the children.

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’

And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise”?‘

A Grave Penalty for Those Who Hurt Children

Jesus also had strong warnings for anyone who would hate or cause a child who believes in Him to sin (Matthew 18:6-7, 10-11).

‘But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!‘

‘Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.’

As we minister in this world, let’s heed the words of Jesus concerning children. As the song tells us, Jesus loves every child in the world, regardless of race or culture. He died and rose again for every child and adult. Let’s thank the Lord for His great love that provides salvation and eternal life in heaven.

Let’s conclude with the second stanza of the song as our prayer.

Jesus died for all the children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus died for all the children of the world.

Here is a video of the song to enjoy with your children, grandchildren, or other children in your life.

Jesus Loves the Little Children by Karen Jurgens copyright © 2025 All rights reserved.