Childlikeness!

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Ez 18:1-10,13, 30-32; Mt 19:13-15

Today’s Gospel highlights childlikeness as a Kingdom virtue. 

Pointing to the children, Jesus says, ‘The Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ 

Jesus utters these words when he finds his disciples impatient about the insignificant visitors and their mothers, who want Jesus to bless their children and pray over them. 

It may also be that, for the disciples, the mission is only meant for the sick and the suffering and not for the little ones. 

However, Jesus finds an occasion to remind his disciples of childlikeness as one of the important virtues of the Kingdom. 

Jesus’ instruction might have come as a shocker. For the first time, the crowd must have given serious thought to childlikeness as representing the Kingdom. In the same way, the disciples and the followers of Jesus might have understood how God favors the neglected humanity through His preferential option for them. 

In this regard, we find Paul’s words more relevant. ‘God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong’ (1 Cor 1:27).

This passage also reminds me of the Tamil saying, ‘Children and God are one’ (Kuzhanthaiyum Theivamum Ondru).

Can we be counted among the childlike if only they can find the Kingdom?

The words of Jesus prod us to reflect if we are childlike enough.

If not, we are to examine how we lost our innocence, gratitude, and sense of trust and wonder. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar