Study Desk

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

And all the people replied, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"

And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

And they were bringing children to Him so that He would touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus responded again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,

but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, his brother is to marry the wife and raise up children for his brother.

"There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children.

"The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise;

and so the seven together left no children. Last of all the woman also died.

"And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

"And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS BACK TO THEIR CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

"Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and do not start saying to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.

"They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.'

"And yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

"So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, and you were unwilling!