The Message, September 15, 2024: "Welcome the Child," Mark 9:30-37

Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
September 18, 2024

 

“Welcome the Child”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Mark 9:30-37

[Message begins with an image projected on the screen of me and my brother on our tricycles as children. Second image is the two of us together in our grandfather’s wagon.]

            Take a look at those two adorable boys in their matching outfits riding matching tricycles! Are they not just the most precious things?!

            And now, let us gaze upon those same two brothers … riding in their grandfather’s wagon. Seriously! Put that on a calendar!

            You may have figured out that I am one of the two boys. The other is my brother, Eric. Yes … early on in life our mother dressed us in matching outfits for special occasions. And, yes … my grandfather did take some pretty amazing photographs.

            If I was to ask the parents in the sanctuary this morning, as well as those in our virtual congregation to open the photo folder on their phones, my guess is that no one would have to scroll very far to find pictures of their precious children. The photos are shared on social media, they are made into Christmas cards, and … sometimes even calendars. The phones come out at parties and on soccer fields as parents share their most recent adventures.

            “This is us at the beach … and us eating ice cream … and us on the bus. Oh look … here is where Sally dropped her ice cream cone in the sand. Sad face emoji.”

            Back in the olden days, when those photos of my brother and me were taken, parents did not have that luxury. Those photos were in photos albums, or shoe boxes, or stuffed in a dresser drawer. Maybe … just maybe … a wallet-sized photo found a place in a purse, or a pocket, or perhaps into a wallet. Of course, how many of you gathered around in the family room for the slide show of the vacation pictures or the home movies? “Pull out the screen, honey! Everyone is here!” Sharing family photos definitely took a little more effort … back in the day.

            But we do it because we love our children, and we are proud of our children. We are proud of their accomplishments and who they are as people, and we want to share that with our friends and family. If you sit next to me at lunch, I can show you two thousand photos of my dogs!

            It is very hard for us to imagine the world of the first century. The folks in our scripture passage this morning, and those adjacent to it, did not carry around photos, or paintings, or etchings of their precious children. In fact, in that day children had no status at all. They were non-entities. They had no rights. They were essentially property that could be traded, bought or sold. They were controlled by their fathers (yes, their fathers) even into adulthood. They did acquire some value in adolescence when they could either work the fields or bear more children.

            What occurred in the scripture lesson is remarkable. That should come as no surprise to us since most everything that Jesus did was … and IS … remarkable.

            When Jesus sat down, that was a signal in the ancient world that a time of formal teaching was about to begin. Jesus sat down and the disciples gathered around so that they could pay close attention to the wisdom that their master, their teacher was about to impart.  He repeated a lesson that he had previously shared, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

            That was in response to what I believe was a rhetorical question that he had just asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” Jesus knew what they were arguing about, but he wanted to put them on the spot. He wanted to take that moment to reinforce a teaching that he had already shared with them.  “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

            And then he made the point incredibly clear. He took that child and placed it among them. And then Jesus took the child into his arms.

            In our Bible study discussion, a couple of the participants shared that they grew up in a time and in a tradition in which children were to be seen NOT heard. One of our parents shared that same history with me last Sunday after worship. Many of you likely had that same shared experience. The first-century world was different. Children were not to be seen or heard. That child that Jesus chose to use as an object lesson should have been nowhere to be found. That child … that no status, non-entity child … should have been nowhere near Jesus, the teacher, or the disciples, the students.

            The child should have been in the back room, or outside with the women, or the servants, or the slaves. In fact, even if the child did not make a peep its very presence would have been a distraction, a disruption.

            Let me explain. The disciples, and all of those around Jesus, lived within an honor and shame culture. What is more is that during the Roman occupation, there was no middle class. There were the wealthy and the very wealthy and then there were the poor. There was no in between. People with some influence or resources always tried to gather more. People with some wealth would try to curry favor with those who had more. Associating with those who had LESS did not happen. Associating with the poor made one undesirable, it brought shame upon them and upon their families. That child in the room with Jesus and the disciples would have been very disruptive for those gathered there. “What if someone sees us with that child?! Get that out of here!!”

            That is why Jesus’ act was so remarkable. It was no surprise to us that Jesus brought the child among them. It was no surprise to us that Jesus took the child in his arms. But it would have been a shocking act to those gathered in that room in Capernaum. Jesus did not shoo the child away. Jesus brought the child close. Jesus did not rebuke the mother or the parent that brought the child there. Jesus took the child into his arms … that apparent non-entity, valueless creature was being embraced by Jesus.

            He essentially said to those gathered there: “There is no shame associated with this child. This child IS valued. This child IS worthy. This child IS precious. This child IS welcome. And so is every other child. In fact, every time that you receive, welcome, embrace one such as this child you receive, welcome and embrace me. When I said, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ I meant them too. And I will go further … not only will you welcome, receive and embrace me, you also welcome, receive and embrace God.”

            That is our message for today on “Homecoming Sunday,” and it is our message every day. That is the essence of the Gospel. That is what Jesus calls us to do and who Jesus calls us to be. Our arms are open wide. Our hearts are open wide. Jesus came to turn the world and our understanding of the world upside down. Those whom the world rejects, or denies, or marginalizes are the ones who need us most. They are the ones that NEED to be loved, NEED to be valued, NEED to be seen, and embraced.

            Sometimes it may be hard. It may be messy. It might be noisy. But that is what following Jesus Christ is all about.

            Over the years, there have been occasions when people have shared with me that they did not feel welcome within the church. And not the church with a big “C,” but at that particular church. It has even happened here.

            “No one talks to me during coffee hour.”
            “Someone told me to keep my child quiet. They are a distraction.”
            “Someone shamed me because my child was wearing their soccer uniform to worship.”
            “Someone yelled at the kids because they got crumbs on the floor.”

            I was even shamed at my first church for my poor wardrobe. “We love you Scott, but the way you dress!” I invited her to take me shopping … which she did not do. I guess that she did not love me THAT much.

            What would Jesus have said in response to any of those phrases? Would Jesus speak to the person sitting alone at coffee hour? Would Jesus welcome the noisy child? Or the fidgety child? Would Jesus complain about the crumbs on the floor or what the child is wearing?

            Whenever we embrace, receive and welcome one such as these we welcome Jesus himself. Inside these walls or out in the world, Jesus calls us to extend our arms. Jesus calls us to invite them in, whomever they may be, and embrace them.

            Let us welcome the child … every child … of God. Amen.

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