Colour Supplement

Articles by Christians around the world

Sunday September 24 2006

 

"Look at the child"

by Katharine Smith

 

Mark 9:30-37

 

"Look at the child"

 

Hear Jesus saying:

 

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me”

 

Let’s picture ourselves with the disciples. Let’s look at the child and think about what we see in him and in the way Jesus holds him in his arms.

 

I’d like to share with you some of the thoughts I’ve had this week as I’ve reflected on this reading and on Jesus holding the child as he talks.

 

On Monday morning Archbishop Rowan Williams was asked about “The Good Childhood Inquiry” which was to be launched by the Children’s Society that day.

 

He talked about the problems and pressures young people face and said that one in ten young people have measurable identifiable mental health problems

including self harm and clinical depression. 

 

I think we’d all agree with him that’s a very disturbing statistic. 

 

One in ten young people suffering mental health problems and that’s only those who have been diagnosed.

 

The welcome a child receives in this world affects him or her for a whole lifetime.

 

So my first thought is this:

 

The child Jesus holds is very vulnerable, easily harmed, in need of care and protection; someone who is weak and powerless. 

 

All decisions about him will be made by others who may or may not have his best interests at heart. 

 

He doesn’t always understand what’s going on around him and so can be confused and frightened by his environment;  He is utterly dependent on his carers for love, food and comfort; His whole life will be shaped

by the way he is treated today.

 

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me”

 

My second thought is this:

 

Jesus asks us to welcome children, and others who share a child’s vulnerability – to welcome them with loving acceptance and care

and to see Christ in them.

 

That for me is a very uncomfortable thought because I know how often I fail to be accepting and welcoming.  Thinking about this reading during the week

has forced me to reflect on what might prevent us from welcoming the child and the child-like.

 

Perhaps we feel threatened because of our own vulnerabilities when we are faced with their vulnerability and need:  our defences go up and we close down.

 

If that’s so we need God’s healing so that we can then reach out to others in need.

 

Perhaps our own pre-occupations make us insensitive to the needs of the child and the child-like.  We don’t notice them, we expect too much and resent the demands they make of us.

 

If that’s so we need God’s forgiveness and his grace to look again at those around us and to see Christ in them, needing us.

 

This is my third thought

 

Our Gospel reading began with Jesus trying to teach his disciples about his forthcoming betrayal, death and resurrection. 

 

They’re too frightened to ask him what he means. 

 

Perhaps we too are afraid of this message of the Gospel – that following Jesus is about being vulnerable; it’s about following the way of the cross

with its suffering and apparent failure. 

 

Maybe all of us at some time have not asked a question because we’re afraid of what the answer might be.  It’s a very human thing to do.

 

As I imagine Jesus with a child in his arms I wonder if part of what Jesus is saying is this:

 

“I know you don’t understand what I mean and that it’s frightening.   But just as I’m holding this child safely so I will hold you safely as you grow in understanding.  Don’t be ashamed of not understanding, don’t be afraid to ask.”

 

I think there’s an important message here: that we don’t have to understand

in order to be held and loved by God.

 

My fourth and final thought is this:

 

We hear that the disciples have been arguing about who is the greatest.  We don’t know what started the argument but it’s about power and ambition. 

 

Again I look at the child in Jesus’ arms and wonder what’s important to him. 

He’s not interested in the status or wealth of the person he’s with. 

 

What’s important to him is that he feels safe,  loved and welcome.  And that’s what’s important to God about the child – that he’s safe and loved.

 

Worldly values are irrelevant in our relationships with children and the child-like and with God and that’s good news. 

 

It liberates us from the need to be better than anyone else, to be first and to have more. 

 

To God, as to a child,what matters is who we are and how we love.

 

So, for me, the Gospel message today is this:

 

We don’t have to understand in order to be held and loved by God in a way that enables us to hold and love others with the same unconditional and generous love God shows to us.

 

Jesus will welcome us as God’s vulnerable children and if we can welcome others in the same way we will be welcoming God himself into our lives.”

 

“Look at the child”.

 

Katharine is a Reader at St. Andrew's Church Taunton. This sermon was preached on Sunday 24 September 2006.  © Katharine Smith 2006

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