Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 19, 2017 - Saturday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Josh 24:14-29 and Matt 19:13-15]Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After he placed their hands on them, he went away. [Matthew]
The culture in which Jesus lived and preached was not a "child-centered" culture. Children were regarded very much as property and had no "rights" as we understand the term. This placed them on the level of slaves or other helpless persons. The disciples' rebuke would not have been considered inappropriate at the time. But Jesus sees in the children the very kind of person he came to save. This is the significance of his statement, "[F]or the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
We might recall other instances where "outsiders" tried to reach Jesus and were prevented by disciples! The Canaanite woman and Blind Beggar (Bartimaeus) and Zaccheus come to mind. Any behavior by those who claim to follow Jesus that has the effect of excluding someone who is seeking to reach the Lord needs to be scrutinized very carefully. Such behavior is clearly contrary to the mission of the Lord. Pope Francis' image of the Church as a "field hospital" and not a country club for the elite has captured a lot of attention. It is one we can all consider with benefit, and find a way to let the children and anyone else seeking Jesus' blessing find a way. AMEN
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