Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 18:16

"But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God." — Luke 18:16 (ASV)

Jesus’ words about little children provide Luke’s second example of the attitude essential for receiving God’s grace. It is not age per se that is in view but childlike qualities such as trust, openness, and the absence of holier-than-thou attitudes. Jesus had compassion even on infants too young to understand the difference between right and wrong. In recent years we have begun to understand formally the importance of communication through touching.