"Whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me ..."

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31 and Psalm 1  • Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22 or Jeremiah 11:18-20 and Psalm 54  • James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a  • Mark 9:30-37

This week Jesus continues his teaching, this time in a quiet moment spent with the disciples. He is preparing them for God's plan for forgiveness and salvation through a Messiah who is the suffering servant prophesied by Isaiah, not the warrior king many hoped for. When he told them in last week's gospel account that he must suffer and die, Peter rebuked him, and Jesus, without mincing words, told Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Nothing will stand in the way of God's saving grace. And nothing will separate us from the love of God, evidenced by the sacrificial death of his Son, and the hope he gives us with his presence, and resurrection to eternal life.

The disciples, like us sometimes, still don't get it. James and John argue about who will be first in the kingdom of God. As a teaching point, Jesus asks that a child be brought to him, and, lovingly, but pointedly, Jesus tells his disciples that whoever would be first, must be last of all and servant of all, and that whoever welcomes a child in his name, welcomes Jesus, and whoever welcomes Jesus will be welcomed by the Father. 

Mary E. Hinkle, in "Seeing Things," tells us that in biblical times children were of little or no consequence, sort of "invisible." She invites us, as Jesus does, to see the invisible, the poor and powerless - the least of all, so that we may be servant of the least of all. This is the kind of heart we must have to see Jesus and God present and working in our midst, in our pain and suffering, and through us. Alan told us last week that the lesson Jesus was teaching to the Pharisees and disciples, and us, is to see and pursue the power of love, instead of the love of power. Jesus continues that lesson this week.

The Rev. Rick Morley continues to develop James' practical lessons for a church in conflict or trying to find itself. Amid conflict and disputes, James tells us "Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom…But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy." See "less “ui”, more “os” – a reflection on James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a."