DiscipleshipCurriculum RaisingDisciples - Flipbook - Page 19
WEEK 2
Becoming Like Christ
TIME OF PRAYER
Thank God for the opportunity to join Him in this important work of discipleship.
Pray for the participants in the book study.
Pray for the children represented by the participants in the room.
Thank God for His Word, which instructs us about His character and how we can
become more like Christ.
Study God’s Word
Say, “During the three years of his earthly ministry, Jesus encountered children on various
occasions. Each time these events are recorded in the Gospels, Jesus elevates the
importance of children. This included healing children (Mark 7:24-30), praising their words
(Matthew 21:16), and raising them back to life (Mark 5:21-43). One of the most well-known
texts about Jesus and children will begin our conversation about the importance of
childhood and discipleship.”
BACKGROUND TO THE BIBLICAL TEXT
During the time of Jesus, children were not highly valued in society. Some believed that
children needed to be disciplined harshly as part of training for adulthood. Others saw
children as unworthy of much time or attention until they were old enough to work, serve in
the army, or otherwise contribute to society. Even in Jewish culture, though children were
considered gifts from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), they were often relegated to a lower status,
completely subject to the wishes of their parents, particularly their fathers.
During the Babylonian exile and establishment of synagogues, the Hebrew tradition of
recognizing age twelve as the “age of discernment” emerged. At this age, Jewish males
were prepared to bear the weight of the Law as they entered adolescence (age thirteen).
This timeline may have meant that children were not given as much time and attention
during their early childhood years.
ENGAGE SCRIPTURE
Read Luke 18:15-17
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