Little Children Who Hadn't Been Loved Enough

"The gentleness of Jesus with sinners flowed from His ability to read their hearts.  Behind people's grumpiest poses and most puzzling defense mechanisms, behind their arrogance and airs, behind their silence, sneers and causes, Jesus saw little children who hadn't been loved enough and who had ceased growing because someone had ceased believing in them."

From "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning