For Sunday – October 3, 2021:
the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading

From Mark 10:2-16

“People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.””

Reflection

What a line!

“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child…”

It is so rich with possibility. It is also kind of confusing, isn’t it? Really, what does it mean?

Do we take him literally? To act like a child?

Or another form of literally – to be a child when the kin-dom comes. In other words: only kids go to heaven? Is that the point? Probably not.

This is after Jesus took a child into his arms and said welcome children because welcoming children is welcoming God.

Then when they tried to stop someone from healing in Jesus’s name, Jesus told them not to be stumbling blocks. But here they are again shutting people down! No! he’s saying let them come to me.

I think our instincts may be right, but for the wrong reasons. Jesus is saying that there is something about children that we should look at. Something that makes them special in the eyes of God.

Except that we can’t take it on like some kind of life-hack. We can’t say children are special because they are innocent, and then choose to be innocent while also being world-weary. We don’t get to be adults and children both. Or worse. Adults who take the special place of children.

For the last four weeks, we’ve heard about the disciples missing the point. About the Messiah and greatness. Then they tried to stop an exorcist from saving lives and now they are trying to stop people from bringing children to Jesus.

As much as we might want to understand what Jesus is saying about children and the Dream of God, there is a more pressing and obvious learning we should take from the gospel.

Maybe we’re wrong. And have been.

It isn’t about what we want. Nor are we called to be individually better Christians. This isn’t a competition. We’re called to love. Each of us and all of us. Together.