Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 2, 2019 - Saturday in the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
[Sir 17:1-15 and Mark 10:13-16]People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I saw to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them. [Mark]
Given the continuing pain of revelations of sexual abuse of minors within the church and reaching to very high levels of authority (as well as this and other forms of sexual abuse within the entertainment and sports and political arenas), the scene in today's gospel passage of Jesus welcoming the children and embracing them should give us courage for a way forward. It should be noted that the behavior of the disciples toward those who were bringing their children to Jesus was not unusual. In fact, children had no rights or protection at all in Jesus' day. To put it bluntly, they were property, and their principal activity was to spy on other people and report back to their parents or the head of the clan. Jesus clearly rejects this attitude and presents children as the model for anyone who wished to be part of his Kingdom.
This is not the only instance where disciples interfere with people trying to reach Jesus. The Canaanite woman and the blind beggar, Bar Timaeus, are other examples where those who considered themselves closest to Jesus tried to keep others from crying out to him. In the case of the child, the prohibition reaches to the most vulnerable persons.
Bringing up children to be faithful Christians is a heavy responsibility, shared not just by parents and family but by the whole community. That line, "It takes a village to raise a child...." is very true. Poor example causes lasting damage. Jesus shows us the right way forward. We can follow him and invite the children to come along. AMEN
[NOTE. A tech-savvy member of the Beloved Congregation has advised me to add the online form of donation to the 1216 Campaign that I mentioned yesterday. So, here it is: https://www.opsouth.org/giving/ ]