To read the texts click on the texts: Sirach 17:1-15; Mk 10:13-16
The text is really about the
kingdom of God and what kind of people can expect to be a part of it. When
people bring children to Jesus, the disciples try to stop them from doing so
showing once again that they have not been able to understand what Jesus and
the kingdom are all about. The kingdom is for everyone and is inclusive not
exclusive. Jesus is emphatic in his response to their action that the kingdom
does indeed belong to children and that anyone who does not become like a child
can never hope to enter it. The point is not so much that one will be
excluded but that one will exclude oneself.
The kingdom is a gift and must be
received as a gift. No human power can create or force it. The kingdom of God
will come when we behave like little children.
A childlike attitude means not
only that one will be humble and spontaneous as children are, but also that one
will acknowledge like a child has to do, his/her dependence. Many of us like to
be independent and for some asking a favour of someone else is extremely
difficult because they do not want to acknowledge their dependence on that
person and so be indebted. We must realise that we are all interconnected and while
we are dependent on each other in some way or other, we are primarily dependent
on God.
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