One Such Child

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!

“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire.” Matthew 18:1-9 

For many years, from the the late 19th century through the 20th century, Native children were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools. Their hair was cur, their language silenced and their way of life denegrated. Their names were often changed and many never returned home. Captain Pratt, who founded Carlisle, which was a model for many more off-reservation boarding schools, had a motto. "Kill the Indian, save the man."

Today we read about Jesus calling a child among the disciples and declaring that they become childlike. I don't know why this question came up, but it seems as if the disciples often argued about greatest, status, and their own importance. Jesus counters that the smallest, the most vulnerable, the innocent must be welcomed and cared for. He reminds us that we welcome them as we welcome him. We are invited to be those who live humbly like children, and who welcome the most vulnerable with open arms.

Today, I ask God to help me be childlike and protective of the most vulnerable. May we all lift up the children, so that the generations after us might know the love of God.