October 3, 2021
World Communion Sunday
People were bringing little children to (Jesus) 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.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Bob Chase is a creative guy, a minister with the United Church of Christ, and a good friend. For many years, he worked as Director of Communication for his denomination. Bob led an identity team at the church’s headquarters in Cleveland. The goal was to let people know there is a United Church of Christ.
They waved through the nice-looking couple - but turned away that other couple – the two men. A beautiful young teen drew near. “No, I don’t think so.” Apparently, her skin was the wrong color. Just then a middle-aged man in a wheelchair rolled up. He was stopped by an outstretched hand and a firm “No.”
With this, the tag line went up on the commercial: “Jesus didn’t turn people away. Neither do we. The United Church of Christ.”
The commercial was a big hit. A lot of people saw it. Maybe you remember it. The only problem is the networks refused to air it.
Bob Chase and his team pushed back. “Why?” They didn’t get a straight answer. So they pushed again. The United Church of Christ was ready to pay $1.7 million for a national campaign. After hemming and hawing, CBS declared, “We reject any ad that take a controversial stand.” Then NBC turned it down, saying, “The ad implies that there are churches that exclude people.”[2] Hmm – imagine that!
Exclusion is an old story, at least as old as the New Testament. Before the original Jewish church argued bitterly about welcoming Gentiles, the twelve disciples of Jesus were turning away noisy children. Mark said they spoke “sternly” about it – “Get those kids out of here!” They would not let the children come.
The Gospel writer offers no reason for their action. Were the children noisy? Or the parents pushy? He doesn’t say. Did Simon Peter, James, John, and the rest believe that church is only for the mature and well-educated? That it is available only for those who are well put together? If so, they – of all people - should know better. This is the sixth story in a row where the twelve disciples get it wrong. In most of these stories, Jesus must pivot and correct them. They do not understand him. They cannot comprehend his mission.
Today we hear Jesus say, rather indignantly, “Permit the children to come to me. Let them come. This is what the kingdom of God is like.” And he threw out his arms, hugged them, and blessed them. Yes, that’s the kingdom: an open invitation, an embrace, and a holy blessing. This is the essence of grace. Who do these disciples think they are? They act like bouncers outside of a dance club.
And they should have known better! Just two Sundays ago, we heard the twelve of them bickering about which of them was superior to all the others. Remember what Jesus did? He led a child by the hand into the middle of circle. Then he got down on the same level, and said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me; whoever welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me.” It’s all about welcome.
That’s at the end of chapter nine. This is the beginning of chapter ten. Did they forget so quickly? Or is it difficult for the grace of the kingdom to seep into the souls of those who follow Jesus?
I believe it’s the difficulty, not the lapse of memory. Chapter ten begins with Jesus sitting down to teach the crowds, “as was his custom.” (10:1) He keeps teaching and teaching and teaching. It’s his custom. Why? Because he’s trying to teach what it’s like when God rules the world. For those of us who have seen how the world operates as the world, his wisdom will only break through if it’s repeated. Over and over and over.
“Whoever welcomes such a child welcomes me.” Does he need to say it again? Yes. Over and over again. “Let the children come to me.”
This is a familiar saying, of course. But it’s bigger than we realize. At least one Bible scholar reminds us of the specific children that we have met in the Gospel of Mark. There’s the little one who is used as an example of what it means to be small, vulnerable, and humble. And there are three others: the daughter of a synagogue ruler who is deathly ill (5:21), the daughter of a woman up on the coast who is in terrible distress (7:26), and the young boy who cannot speak or hear who has terrible convulsions (9:17-26).
These are the children that Jesus meets in Mark’s Gospel. Each one is in trouble, vulnerable, and under threat. These are the little ones Jesus welcomes. As scholar Ched Myers notes, children in the first century world were at great risk. They had no power. They had no social standing. They had to be protected from irresponsible adults.[3] To welcome the children meant to love all the little ones that nobody sees. The call for the church was to make room for them and embrace them. As somebody puts it, Jesus announces a “kingdom for nuisances and nobodies.” (John Dominic Crossan)
So this isn’t merely a happy little Bible story about caring
for adorable, little tykes; that would be a no-brainer. It’s so much more than
that. It is an invitation to broaden our awareness of who we are as the
people of God. Jesus calls us to make room for those at risk, to welcome all who
cannot defend themselves, for those who cannot make it on our own. They are
already here – we are already here.
If there is any continuing lesson from the pandemic, it’s the lesson that we are fragile. All of us. An unseen virus can sweep in, so we continue to take precautions. We have a safe place to admit our human weakness. Nobody is going to throw us out for being honest about our struggles and our worries. No black-shirt bouncer stands outside to declare, “You are not fit to be admitted.”
No, oh no – we are welcomed because Jesus the Christ sees us as little children – still learning, still growing, always in need, and ever ready for grace. We become like little children when we confess we are little children.
· We come, not because we are competent. We come because we are loved.
·
We come, not because we have it all together. We
come because Christ is refinishing our hearts and souls.
·
We come, not as experts. We come as disciples.
·
We come, not to guard the door. We come because
Jesus has opened the door so widely that nobody can shut it.
Remember the one, big sermon that Jesus gives? He says, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” It’s right here. It’s available for the little ones. Like you.
[1] Watch the video: https://youtu.be/mW6X6l5XGsw
[2] See, for instance, http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/12/01/us.church.adban/
[3] That’s all I will say
about adults who won’t let children wear masks to school in a pandemic.
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