Sunday, October 6th - Let the Little Children Come to Me
Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:2-16
There was a time when the government and many of our churches thought the way to "fix" the "Indian problem" was to take our children from their communities and put them in boarding schools. Some believed they were doing as Jesus commanded his disciples when he said, "let the little children come to me." Families, tribes and communities were destroyed by their blindness and misunderstanding. Too often, we hear these words and forget the next sentence which explains that, unless we are childlike, we can never empty the kingdom of heaven. Too often we try to fix others, our children or other peoples', and forget to daily examine our own hearts. Are we loving and accepting as a child? Are we willing to explore, to learn and to open our hearts, or, do we need to be in control every moment? Jesus invites us to dwell in love, which is vulnerable, open, fearless and without shame like a child. May we have the courage to receive and share God's love as a child.
A Litany for Sunday October 6th, 2024
Gracious Creator, source of all that is good
you shower us your love and teach us your ways
you have made yourself available to all peoples
and hear us when we pray in every language.
Lord, make us children again so we might know your joy.
We are uncomfortable around different ways
withdrawing and judging in our ignorance
you call us to be childlike ready to learn
yet we close our eyes, our ears and our hearts.
Lord, make us children again so we might know your joy.
Set our feet on the path of welcoming love
let us see and delight in your loving kingdom
take away our need to control and possess
and replace all our jealousy with compassion.
Lord, make us children again so we might know your joy.
We are too often afraid and isolated
open our eyes to the beauty around us.
Lord, make us children again so we might know your joy.
We think shutting others out will help us
when we are truly shutting you out as well.
Lord, make us children again so we might know your joy.
Make our hearts childlike and tender again
so we might see your beauty around us today.
Lord, make us children again so we might know your joy. Amen.
2 comments:
Prayers of thanks for all the children in our lives. I offer prayers for all the children, especially those in Kutupalong refugee camp (Bangladesh).
Prayers for all the children in our lives & especially for those who are refugees (like the Rohingya in Bangladesh).
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