"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
I suppose the Christian must spend a lifetime pondering Jesus' words. What does it mean to become humble like a child? When Nicodemus heard a similar teaching he asked -- perhaps with a touch of sarcasm.
"How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
If anything, growing old, we fear we might become childlike with feebleness or dementia.
In today's gospel the simile is followed by an endearing parable about the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine untended while he searches for the lost one. A sheep owner might raise hell about such behavior but we are comforted by the thought. And, growing old, we realize how ovine we are. How many foolish decisions do I now regret, especially as I realize I listened to bad advice and followed an unworthy shepherd?
Perhaps the children Jesus admires and offers for imitation are those docile children who realize there are large forces in the world -- parents -- who make important decisions about us and there is little they can do about that. They confidently, hopefully "...accept the things they cannot change." Not all children are like that but we can allow Jesus to make his point with the example of docile children.
A teaching about childlike docility fits the biblical stories of powerless people and nations who must rely on God's mercy. Whether we speak of the elderly Simeon and Anna, or the young Mary and Joseph, we know the anawim will never enjoy earthly power. Always there will be powerful people who live in mortal dread of weakness, and they will use every tactic and stratagem they can muster to elevate their positions in the world. Some will have broken out of poverty, most will have inherited more wealth than anyone should have. All will agree that the status quo must remain unchallenged. "I've got mine" is their rallying cry.
If they must trample the rights of unborn children to be born and born children to parental care, they will do so without hesitation or moral qualm. Unwilling to become like children, they cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Jesus' parable about the Good Shepherd assures us that he will never forget, lose, or overlook us. "You are my people, and I am your God." We would not surrender that promise if we could.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.