May 24, 2013. Homily, Saturday, May 25, 2013

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.When Jesus saw this, he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.
The Gospel of the Lord.

One of the most popular pictures of Jesus is of the Lord sitting with a child near him sometimes and oft-times on his lap.

• The Gospel of two days ago indicated the advice of Jesus concerning the relationship of the adults with little ones and with the excluded (Mk 9, 41-50). Yesterday’s Gospel indicated the advice on the relationship between man and woman, husband and wife (Mk 10, 1-12). Today’s Gospel indicates the advice on the relationship between parents and sons. Jesus asked for the greatest acceptance for the little ones and the excluded. In the relationship man-woman, he asked for the greatest equality. Now, with the sons and their mother, he asks for the greatest tenderness.
• Mark 10, 13-16: Receive the Kingdom like a child. People brought little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples wanted to prevent this. Why? The text does not say it. Perhaps because according to the ritual norms of the time, the small children with their mothers lived almost constantly the legal impurity. To touch them meant to become impure! If they touched Jesus, he would become impure! But Jesus does not feel uncomfortable with this ritual norm of legal purity. He corrects the disciples and welcomes the mothers with the children. He touches them, embraces them saying: “Let the little children come to me, do not stop them: for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs”. And he comments: “In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. And then Jesus embraces the children and blesses them, and laid his hands on them. What does this phrase mean? (a) The children receive everything from their parents. They cannot merit what they receive, but live from gratuitous love. (b) The parents receive the children as a gift from God and take care of them with the greatest possible love. The concern of the parents is not to dominate the children, but to love them, educate them in a way in which they can grow and be fulfilled!
• A sign of the Kingdom: To welcome the little ones and the excluded. There are many signs of the acting presence of the Kingdom in the life and the activity of Jesus. One of these is the way of welcoming, of accepting the little ones and the children:
a) To welcome them and not scandalize them. One of the hardest words of Jesus was against those who cause scandal to the little ones, that is, who are the reason so that the little ones no longer believe in God. For them it is better to have a millstone hung round their neck and be thrown into the sea (Mk 9, 42; Lk 17, 2; Mt 18, 6).
b) To identify oneself with the little ones. Jesus embraces the little ones and identifies himself with them. Anyone who receives a child, “receives me” (Mk 9, 37). “And as long as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me”. (Mt 25, 40).