Does Jesus Still Get Angry?

Jesus got angry with the Pharisees many times, but I only see one time when he got angry with his disciples – when they pushed the children away from him. This tells me that thinking that children are not spiritual is ungodly.

“One day, some parents brought their children to Jesus so that he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. Jesus was angry with his disciples when he saw what was happening. He said to them, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.‘”

We see this thinking in our churches today. I have been to revival services in large arenas where announcements were made like this: “We don’t want any children sitting in the first ten rows because we don’t want to disturb the anointing of God.”

Take a moment to consider this statement from a child’s perspective. What does an eight-year-old think when they hear that they can’t sit in the first ten rows because it will disturb the anointing of God? My guess is they think they can’t get close to God until they grow up.

Jesus gets angry about this kind of communication because leaders are doing the same thing the Pharisees did. The Pharisees claimed they knew how to approach God, but they pushed people away with their strict religious rules. Church leaders do the same thing today with kids—they keep them away from the Holy Spirit’s movement.

How can we help children come to Jesus today? Worship Jesus with your kids at home and church. Bring your kids into the sanctuary with you. Lead them into the presence of God. Let them see you worship. That’s how they learn.

This is an excerpt from the first chapter of my new book for parents, Children and the Holy Spirit. It will be released on September 30 at the Supernatural Children’s Ministry Summit.