September 22, 2024 - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Jesus' Blessing of Children and Rooted In His Message of Serving Others

The Gospel lesson today reflects a simple, profound moment in the life of Jesus—a moment where Jesus uses the innocence and humility of a child to reveal the very heart of God. In this passage from Mark, we see him taking a small child, holding them tenderly, and speaking powerful words: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

What is Jesus teaching us through this?

Thinking about this throughout the week I thought about the setting of this passage. The disciples argued amongst themselves about who was the greatest, who held the most status in the Kingdom of God. Jesus, knowing their hearts, turns their attention to a child—a figure in society who, at that time, had no social standing, no power, no influence.

Children in Jesus' day were among the most vulnerable and insignificant members of society. But Jesus sees them not as insignificant, but as models for greatness. By taking the child into His arms, He shows that the Kingdom of God values humility over power, purity over prestige, and dependence over self-sufficiency.

When Jesus asks us to welcome the child, He calls us to embrace humility, to value those who are often overlooked or dismissed. He is reminding us that true greatness in God’s eyes is not about status or power, but about being open-hearted and loving to the least among us.

Jesus’ act of placing the child in the center of the disciples and telling them to welcome the child is more than just a lesson in humility—it is also a command to welcome the vulnerable. Pastor Emillie asked in our world, who are the "children" today that Jesus is asking us to welcome?

Perhaps it is the marginalized, the outcast, the lonely, the poor, the refugee. Jesus calls us to see the image of God in those whom society often overlooks. When we care for the weak, when we show kindness and love to those who can offer us nothing in return, we are welcoming Jesus Himself.

In Matthew 25, Jesus says that when we care for the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned, we are acting as Christ's body. In Mark, we are given a similar message: when we welcome a child, we welcome Jesus. This is a radical teaching, one that shifts the focus of our faith away from ourselves and toward those in need. It is an invitation to see Christ in the vulnerable and the powerless.

What Pastor Emillie also suggested was the disciples may have been uncomfortable with Jesus' teaching at this time. We should probably know better now, but we still don't. Instead of asking questions about how we should live out such teaching, we often retreat into talking about which church or faith is better than another. 

 

Perhaps the disciples were looking for their "best" spokesperson to confront Jesus and get a deeper understanding of what he was saying, by asking Jesus the "right" questions. I can certainly see how I have fallen prey to this sort of thinking. And Jesus, as a rabbi and friend, by this example of a child, shifted their focus from who might be their best representative, to center instead on Jesus and taking his words to heart.

 

Dave Brauer-Rieke attended worship today and shared his reaction in a Facebook post.

 

So let us welcome the child within us as well, the vulnerable, the humble—both literally and spiritually. Let us be people who see the face of Christ in those who are often overlooked, and let us live with the trust and faith of a child, fully dependent on the love of our Heavenly Father.

May we, in our humility, not only welcome others in Christ’s name but also experience the divine presence that comes when we open our hearts to the least among us. And in doing so, may we be drawn closer to the heart of God.