“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 · KJV
Christ interrupted his own teaching to say Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. The Christian household table has never been adult-only. This children's-choir hymn imagines a small household supper where the children draw near — not to be silenced, but to sing the song of the table.
“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 · KJV
Companion passages: Mark 10:14-16 ("he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them") · Psalm 78:4 ("shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord") · Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ("thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children") · Luke 22:19 ("This do in remembrance of me").
Press play. The choir will lead. The highlighted line is the line the choir is singing now. Nothing autoplays; the hymn will wait for you.
The highlighted line is the line the choir is singing now.
A household table is a small altar. When the children sit down at it, they are already learning what worship is: bread given, thanks spoken, presence noticed. The Lord who died in our stead sits at the head of the table still, and there is no age too small to know him there. Every household meal is training for the great supper that is coming.
Lord Jesus, thou hast said, Suffer the little children to come unto me. Let this table be one where the children of this household draw near to thee without hindrance. Feed them thy bread. Fold their small hands with ours in thanks. Sit with us at the head of the table until the great table comes. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
YouTube version: Coming soon — the household will find this hymn as a full video on our channel. Visit the CrossAIHub channel to be notified when it’s posted.
Shorts: A short-form YouTube Shorts clip of this hymn will be published so households can share a verse in a minute. The Shorts placeholder is here so the ecosystem is ready when the video ships.
Read Matthew 19:13-15 aloud. Sing Verse 1 as the household gathers for breakfast.
Sing the Bridge before supper. Let the children lead the line 'Come to the table, come.'
Teach the children the Bridge and let them sing it aloud as the food is served. Ask: who is at the head of the table? Answer: the Lord Jesus is.