People were bringing even infants to Jesus that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, “Let the little children come to me, and 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
In the USA, on the last day of high school, we were given our yearbooks, which contained pictures of all our classmates, and we would sign each other’s yearbooks. One person would always turn the yearbook upside down and write, “I’m the clown who came to town to sign your yearbook upside down.” It was just playing with words, and obviously meant to make you turn the yearbook upside down to read it.
Today’s reading plays with words. “People were bringing infants” – the Greek word brephos, meaning unborn children, newborns, and infants. Nothing odd about bringing a newborn or infant to receive a prayer of blessing. What’s odd is the disciples turning people away.
What’s even odder is Jesus’ response. “Let the little children come to me” – the Greek word paidion, from the word pais, meaning infant, child, attendant, servant or slave.
Both brephos and paidion are powerless. They have fragile existences. They are at the bottom of the social hierarchy of the Roman Empire. Whilst brephos mostly refers to the age, paidion brings a sense of innocence, dependency, and social status. A paidion needs nurturing and support to survive.
But not only does Jesus change the word and therefore the meaning of who they are talking about, he also starts talking about the kingdom of God and tells the disciples and the parents gathered that the kingdom of God must be received like paidion – a child or servant that knows their reliance on others for survival. Presumably the “other” in this instance would be God. The unspoken question Jesus leaves hanging in the air is: Do you believe yourself to be self-reliant or do you know you need God?
By mentioning the kingdom, Jesus isn’t just welcoming children. He is saying something about God and demonstrating something about himself. He’s turning the disciples’ yearbooks upside down to write: “I’m the Son who came to town to turn your thinking upside down.”
Prayer
God, thank you for welcoming the weak and powerless. When we forget how weak and powerless we are, remind us of the strength in Your weakness and how powerful powerlessness can be. Amen.