13th August Fr. Martin's Reflections/Homilies on Today's Mass Readings for Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Inc. Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14) ‘Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’. (2024)

13th August Fr. Martin's Reflections/Homilies on Today's Mass Readings for Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Inc. Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14) ‘Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’.

Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Except USA)Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me.

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’

Gospel (USA)Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14See that you do not despise one of these little ones.

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

Reflections (4)

(i) Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Sometimes the kinds of questions people ask reveal their values, their priorities, what they think important. The question that the disciples put to Jesus in this morning’s gospel reading, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ suggests a certain interest on their part in status and standing. In response to their question, Jesus both did something and said something. He first of all called a child over and placed the child in front of them; he then informed them that they needed to become like that child just to enter the kingdom of heaven, never mind become the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus was calling on his disciples to become child-like not childish, child-like in the sense of having child-like trust in a loving Father, a trust that awaits everything from God and grabs at nothing, including status and standing. Greatness comes to those who make themselves as dependent on God as children are dependent on adults for their existence and well-being. Jesus’ response to the question of his disciples is a kind of a commentary on the first beatitude which he had spoken earlier in Matthew’s gospel, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’.

And/Or

(ii) Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

The question the disciples ask Jesus, ‘who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ reveals a preoccupation with status and honour. In his response, Jesus cuts across this preoccupation, which is far removed from his own concerns. He does not answer the question directly but declares that disciples will not even enter the kingdom of God unless they become like little children. In that culture, children, although loved by their parents, were considered to have no rights, no status, no honour. They are completely dependent on others for everything. In calling on all of his disciples to become like little children, he is calling on us to cast off all notions of status and honour and to recognize our complete dependence on God for everything, our poverty before God. As Jesus says elsewhere, it is those who humble themselves who will be exalted (by God). Humility is not about putting oneself down but about being grounded or earthed (‘humus’ is Latin for ‘earth’) in the reality of our creaturely status. The humble are those who recognize the truth of their reality as beggars before God, dependent upon God for all that is good. As a result, the humble will not promote themselves over others but recognize the common humanity that they share with all people. They will recognize and welcome the Lord in the weakest, those without status or position, such as the child. The conclusion of the gospel reading suggests they will go further and set off in search of such ‘little ones’ when they stray.

And/Or

(iii) Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

The gospels are full of questions. Some of the questions are asked by Jesus; others are asked by his opponents and some are asked by his disciples. In this morning’s gospel reading a question is asked by one of Jesus’ disciples, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ It is a question that reveals something about our human nature, an interest in status and position and prestige. Behind that question of the disciples perhaps stood another question, ‘How do we get to become the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ The answer of Jesus to his disciples’ question gave them, and gives us, much to ponder. Jesus in his answer speaks about something more basic than becoming the greatest in the kingdom. He says that in order just to enter the kingdom, his disciples have to change and become like little children. Children in those days had no rights; they had no status in law. They were completely dependent on others for everything, especially on their parents. Jesus is recommending a child-like trust in a loving Father, a trust which awaits everything from God and grabs at nothing. Jesus is making a sharp challenge to the will for power and status that exists in every human community, including the community of disciples. Rather than seeking to exalt ourselves we entrust ourselves to God who exalts the humble.

And/Or

(iv) Tuesday, Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

In the gospel reading this morning Jesus’ disciples ask him, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ In response to their question, Jesus does not say the greatest are the most successful, the strongest, those who outdo others in skill and power. Rather, he took a child, one of the least significant in the culture of the time, and declared that children are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Those who, in Jesus’ time, had no status or power or influence or expertise or skill are the greatest in the kingdom of God. What makes them great in God’s kingdom is their openness to receive God’s presence in Jesus. Today we can still recognize that openness to the Lord in children. Jesus then goes on to call on his disciples and on all of us to become like little children, and declares that unless we do so we will not enter the kingdom of God. Children can be our teachers. As adults we need to be as open to the Lord’s presence as children are. Then we will be great in the kingdom of God.

Fr. Martin Hogan.