The scene takes place in Capernaum, Jesus' chosen headquarters, inside "the house," which could be Jesus' own house or the house of Peter and Andrew. Surely this child is one known by them all, perhaps a relative. But who is this child?
PUTTING HIS ARMS AROUND IT.....
Suddenly I see Jesus' arms embracing this child, hugging him with such unaffected warmth, such strong protectiveness. Where else in Scripture do we get such a human, personal glimpse of a spontaneously affectionate Jesus?
Putting his arms around IT....
The English translations I have demonstrate perfectly the status of children in Jesus' time: "its," possessions, chattel, as women were. "Its," not boys or girls or human beings or beings with names. No one bothered to record the name of the child whom Jesus embraces, whose very existence Jesus uses as a profound lesson. For the words Jesus says right before this scene are these: "Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
We certainly can add "last of all" to the description of how Jesus' society regarded children: Last Place. How amazing that Jesus tells the favored Twelve that he is asking them to be humble servants, the "last of all" as children were; that Jesus is asking the Twelve to take tender care of those who are considered society's possessions, "its," the ones who are the very last to consider in any situation. Scripture scholars observe that this little one is also a symbol of the "anawim," the poor in spirit, the lowly in the Christian community.
But, although this child also symbolizes the "anawim," my heart belongs with this child, - a boy, a girl, who even knows? This child, with Jesus putting his arms around her like a circle of love and protection. Jesus' voice speaking strong, loud words which no one can dispute or trifle with: "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me, but the one who sent me."
My heart contracts: has society really changed in its attitude towards children? In some ways, no, they are still possessions, sometimes throw-aways. If God lives in each human heart, how many times are we rejecting the children of God today? Rejecting God today? Stories and images race through my mind, faces of children....
I see Baby Doe, murdered by her mother's boy friend, the mother considered an accessory, a woman possibly in the grip of terror, a victim of domestic abuse. Because - how can we separate the fate of children from the fate of their mothers? How can we ignore the violence towards women and children that poisons our society? Violence perpetuated in our music, our movies?
I see the frightened, hungry, traumatized faces of children who are Syrian refugees, following their families who are leaving a much-loved homeland which is no longer safe. Children gassed with tear gas, writhing on the ground, children shoved back and shoved out.... Countries are rejecting them because they are Muslims. People fear that terrorists are hiding in their families' midst. This is a logical, realistic fear. Yet my heart cries out, "What about the children? Jesus wants we, who are his arms, to care for these children."
I think about the story my friend Pat Dyer, a nurse practitioner, told me yesterday about a Muslim family who came to her Pediatric Clinic (which is on the grounds of our St. Lawrence parish and serves everyone with or without insurance.) The mother, with other young children, was very pregnant and very distraught.
"I need a new obstetrician - can you please help me find one?" she said to Pat. "My last obstetrician told me that I was going to have a Down's Syndrome baby. He said that my only options are to have an abortion, or to have the baby and then later institutionalize him/her."
Pat hastened to reassure this loving mother that many, many Down's Syndrome children lead happy, productive lives today. She told her of a cardiologist friend who said that his so-called "normal" child gives him all sorts of "normal," age-related problems, but that his Down's Syndrome child, so simple and loving, makes him smile, laugh, and be filled with hope every day. Pat told the woman to find an obstetrician in the Catholic Health system, affiliated with certain hospitals, and gave some suggestions. Finally the woman sighed in relief and said to her husband "See, I told you that we would find help here!"
Isn't it sad that a high percentage of Down's Syndrome babies are aborted each year, because of fears that these special children will prove to be burdens, when in reality they are gifts? Where are Jesus' arms, - our arms - that should be protectively circling all children?
But we can also visualize this story with ourselves as that little child: "and PUTTING HIS ARMS AROUND ME, Jesus said "Whoever receives one such as this one (pointing to ME) in my name receives me." Suddenly we feel Jesus' arms lovingly, warmly, protectively encircling us. If we remember that his arms continually embrace us, if we hear his voice murmuring "Whoever receives one such as this in my name receives me," we remember again and again the truth of who we are: children of God, forever loved, forever cherished, children whose God lives within us, whose light shines out from us. Children of God, no matter how broken, betrayed, lost, or sinful we are.
We can ask ourselves then: are we humble children, attentive and alive to the voice of our heavenly Father? Are we obedient children, strengthened by our Father to go in search of and serve those who are counted as nothing, as possessions, ignoring their God-given heritage and dignity?
Because we are children of God, but we are also disciples. This is a hard truth: sometimes it is easier to say we worship and adore Jesus than it is to say that we follow him. For, if we follow him, he is always telling us to DO SOMETHING in remembrance of him. Today, his arms warmly and protectively encircle every vulnerable, threatened child, born and unborn. And he looks in our eyes and says "I have chosen you to bloom where you are planted, in the very place where you are. What about the children?"