Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
The key phrase in understanding just what is happening in this scene is, “that he might lay his hands on them.” These are children who are sick, diseased, ill perhaps to the point of death. And not just one, though we don’t know how many. The scene, then, is likely a swarm of desperate parents who are bringing their diseased children to Jesus in the hope that he can do something. It is likely chaotic, with pushing and shoving, and probably more than a few heated exchanges, as each parent feels compelled to vie for Jesus’ attention for the sake of his or her child. Desperation makes competitors of us all.
All of which helps to explain, if still not excuse, the reaction of the disciples. They are trying to protect their Lord, keeping him from the crush of the crowds and the contagion of these sickly children.
What the disciples don’t understand is that this is exactly why Jesus came – to heal those who are sick, to protect those that are vulnerable, and to respond to those in need. And yet it’s more than that. Jesus doesn’t just pity these children, he elevates them, saying that, indeed, this is what the kingdom of God is all about and this is for whom the kingdom of God exists. Precisely these sickly, vulnerably, incredibly needy children.
We know that, of course. We’ve heard it before. Let the children come unto me. God is for those in need. And so forth. But here Jesus ups the ante, inviting us to image just how backwards the kingdom of God is in comparison to the kingdom of the world we know so well. It’s not just that the sick and vulnerable have a place in the kingdom of God; it’s that the kingdom belongs to them, exists for them, and is constituted by them.
There are not two kinds of citizens in God’s kingdom – those who get in on their merit and have little need and those pitied by God and brought in by the back door. No, there is only one kind of person in God’s kingdom – the utterly vulnerable person who is in desperate need, whether of comfort, healing, wholeness, forgiveness, hope, you name it. This is a kingdom of the needy…whom God calls blessed.
Prayer: Dear God, let us acknowledge our need confident of your love and grace, and then let us reach out to others in their need recognizing them us as fellow citizens of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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