Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - Tuesday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Deut 31:1-8 and Matt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14]When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them, "I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am now no longer able to move about freely...." [Deuteronomy] The disciples approached Jesus and said,"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven? He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven...." [Matthew]
The contrast between great old age and childhood, represented in the two quotes from today's scriptures, caught my attention. The Bible occasionally has moments that are unintentionally humorous. At 120 years of age, one can be amazed that Moses was able to move about AT ALL! At 82, I'm much aware of my lesser mobility. The lines from the Gospel According to John [21:18] frequently come to my mind: "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." I know that time will come.
The image of a child as the model for the Kingdom of heaven can appeal to the emotions, but what Jesus was speaking to was the question of power. The disciples asked a question about status which would bring power over others. In Jesus' day, a child had no rights whatsoever. He or she was the property of the parents, particularly of the father. Jesus' response to the disciples was that they had to give up all notions of power if they wanted to be part of the Kingdom of heaven.
Vulnerability can be frightening both in old age and childhood. But no matter one's age, it can also be the clue to a truly deep relationship with the Lord. Individualism, independence and personal command of one's own life are prized in our American culture. But those very values can separate us spiritually and perhaps physically from God's providence. The Kingdom we pray for in the "Our Father" means giving up our own! AMEN