The 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) Mark 9:30-37 St. Andrew s Episcopal Church - Sedona, AZ. One such child.

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1 The 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Year B) Mark 9:30-37 St. Andrew s Episcopal Church - Sedona, AZ One such child. Jesus said to them, Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me. One such child. A child whose presence is noticed and appreciated. A child who is respected and valued for being a child. One such child. Jesus didn t say whether the little child was a boy or a girl, which is significant in this culture because while male children were more valued than female ones, gender determined a person s place in society and one s role in the community, and one s value to the family. And Jesus didn t say whether the child was an orphan or still had at least one living parent. This is significant because infant and child mortality at the time could reach 60 percent. 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 1

2 And more than 70 percent of children would have lost one or both parents before puberty. 1 This child was most likely related to one of Jesus closest followers because they were in a house where they gathered regularly. Presumably one such child was provided for and protected by the head of the household, an adult male family member. But Mark does not record any of the details surrounding the child s personal situation. He simply noted that Jesus located a little child in the center of their conversation to remind them of his true mission, ministry, and message: that those with power and authority must use their agency to raise up those who are the most weak, vulnerable and powerless; that discipleship involves faithfulness and servanthood; that compassion for our neighbors is a form of hospitality that reflects God s love for all. 1 Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh. Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, 2 nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press (2003), th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 2

3 While today s gospel reading seems to focus on valuing little children, Jesus is actually shedding light on the glaring unjust practices of the larger culture. In his teaching and in his ministry, Jesus is focused on bringing healing and wholeness to the entire community. He teaches that the kingdom of God is near, and those who follow the way of Jesus can help co-create the kingdom in their midst by being servants of all, especially, the most vulnerable in society the young, the weak, the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the disabled. Jesus knew that his teachings were a radical departure from current cultural norms, and that there were a great deal of social practices that caused people to cry out in desperation for physical healing for basic human needs such as water, food, and shelter - and for social wellbeing - a sense of mutual respect, belonging, and inclusion; for healthy environments in which one can love and be loved; for a world in which the dignity of every human being is valued; and for a world in which our relationships with marginalized and forgotten ones are restored and shine forth the gracious hospitality of God. 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 3

4 Welcoming the stranger and offering hospitality was a socially acceptable practice among ancient Mediterranean cultures - much more so than caring for orphans and widows; and physically or mentally disabled neighbors. But Jesus understands that the hospitality God is offered to all. And so he disrupts the conversation that his disciples were having about greatness by focusing on one the most vulnerable and powerless people in their community, one such child. Jesus teaches that his Messiahship is unlike any they have seen or experienced before, and that the nature of his leadership will change everyone s perspective on the kind of kingdom he is calling into being, and the kind of disciples they and we are called to be. This is the second of Jesus three passion predictions, and still the disciples do not understand what he s talking about. Or maybe they kind of sort of do, but are too afraid to ask. Maybe they were confused about why Jesus would allow himself to be killed. Maybe they were confronted by the prospect of him rising again in three days. 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 4

5 Maybe they were in denial about losing their leader. Regardless of how they felt, the disciples chose not to ask Jesus questions to go deeper; to explain what he meant by foretelling his betrayal, murder, and resurrection. They didn t try to engage in a conversation so they could discern, explore, and learn alongside one another. Instead they argued among themselves about who was greatest and began jockeying for position based on society s hierarchical model of leadership as if as if whoever they determined was greatest would become the new leader and Jesus wasn t even dead yet! Like the disciples, we sometimes project our insecurities onto each other by arguing about small things that we misconstrue to be important or great. This often happens among family members after a loved one dies. We try to deflect any sense of vulnerability or anxiety about not having the answers and not being in control whether it s about uncertain finances, or inheriting Grandma s favorite teapot, or accepting our own mortality. 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 5

6 Sometimes we are so afraid to reveal our vulnerability that we might default into unexamined modes of being - like apathy, retreat, sarcasm, defensiveness ways that seem serve us in the short term, but do little to positively transform our relationships, or shift our perspective toward the way of Jesus the lived pathway of true servanthood and discipleship. Instead of directly calling out his disciples about their audacity and arrogance, Jesus almost always approaches situations with creativity and compassion. Sometimes Jesus shares direct knowledge with his disciples, other times he speaks in parables, and often he models how to live faithfully into realizing the kingdom of God. Certainly we don t always recognize Jesus in our midst. We don t always understand what he s trying to tell us or where he s leading us. And as much as we want to know and understand as much as possible, and as quickly as possible - that is not the way of Jesus. 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 6

7 What Jesus is teaching his disciples, as they begin to make their way toward Jerusalem, is that God is always overturning familiar paradigms of power, honor and greatness. And that the way toward true greatness is by engaging in humble acts in the service of the most vulnerable and powerless. God s radical grace is not expressed through those who seek to dominate and oppress, manipulate or obliterate. God s grace shines forth when we open our eyes to see a child in our midst a child who is lonely, a child who is hungry and thirsty. God s grace shines forth when we open our hearts to recognize a child who has been hurt psychologically or physically. God s grace shines forth when we open our arms to respond to a child who has been humiliated and shamed for something that should have never happened. God s grace shines forth when we faithfully take up the cross of Christ together by living into Jesus betrayal, death and resurrection alongside each other, again and again - in solidarity with the weak and the vulnerable and the powerless. 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 7

8 Jesus is showing us the way to die to our broken ways of being, to relinquish our own desires for dominance and control - that all may daily experience true signs of our discipleship with Christ - humble servanthood on behalf of one such child in our midst whether that child has been separated from its family at Disneyland or has been separated from a parent at our borderland. A young child who is dragged through the courts during custody battles, or a grown child who is prompted to speak truth to power in civic and ecclesial realms. One such child. A child whose presence is noticed and appreciated. A child who is valued for being a child. The child in our midst and the inner child that continues to remind us that each of us is a beloved child of God always and forever, no matter what th Sunday after Pentecost (Yr B) Mark 9:30-37 The Rev. Monica Whitaker Page 8