Proper 20: Gospel, Mark 9:30-37                               

Mark 9:30-37 

The title of our meditation today is not from the text, but my approach to it. I hope that is alright. And I hope it will move you to read the text carefully, as I happened upon something in preparation that I had never seen in this passage before. I don’t believe my take is something novel. Perhaps I just need to read more carefully.

Jesus has just spoken of his death to His disciples the second of three times He does this in Mark’s gospel. He’s speaking of the very reason for His coming. The disciples are not seeing it clearly. And they are quickly on to a somewhat self-centered discussion. Boy! Can I relate. They begin to argue, immediately after the Creator of the universe has laid out His plan of giving His all, about which of them will be greatest in Jesus’ Kingdom. They still have a bit to learn. But, so do I.

In the remainder of the passage Jesus addressed the issue of “Kingdom Greatness.” And characteristic of the “upside-down” nature of His Kingdom, Jesus uses a child to illustrate. But there is something tucked in Mark’s words that caught my attention for the very first time just today. Jesus is going to teach them that greatness is measured in servanthood; in what the world would see as weakness. And then “he took a child and put him in the midst of them” (v. 36a). The child is the picture of weakness, of lowliness. And Jesus places him, exposes him to the world if you will, in their midst. But then … Jesus “taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me …” (v. 37a). Jesus is saying something so very simple, but His action is stunning. We have no clue the age of the child, but Jesus doesn’t leave him exposed there before them all. No, he takes the child into his arms and then equates receiving that child in that type of embrace, to greatness in the kingdom. Because to embrace Christ, to “receive” him into our arms through embracing the most humble among us, is the kingdom. On display for all to see. Maybe it is just me. But I think we are supposed to be amazed when Jesus takes the child in His holy arms and speaks those sublime words over him. I would love to have been there.

There’s a challenge here. I want to embrace Jesus. Not in some sappy, saccharine way. But fully. He has held, and does hold me as surely as He does the child in this passage. I must receive the lowly ones He sends my way (that really means everyone), with His embrace, not mine. In such a way, giving Jesus to others as He has given Himself to us, is true greatness. Now I see it.