Many times, our modern culture and mentality do not let us to understand what is happening in the Gospel events. We end up interpreting them with our modern eyes and we lose the true meaning. Today’s Gospel is one of those moments. When we hear the story about Jesus blessing the children and spending time with them, we think it’s cute and we reduce the whole scene to warm fuzzies.
Most times children were treated well, but overall, they were considered things or property of their parents’ family household up to when at around thirteen they could read publicly from the Bible in the synagogue. Up to that point, they were little more than furniture or livestock. Children had to do what they were told. They were little more than slaves. They were also the center of gossip as they would gather information as they ran around playing all over the neighborhood. They were noisy, bothersome, and nosey. They were not allowed at adult meetings. They were the lowest on the totem pole. For all those cultural reasons the disciples wanted to exclude them from meeting or being around Jesus. In our modern culture children have rights, students in school have rights, patients in the hospital have rights, and children have extensive protections. Even though it is hard for us to understand with our modern outlook, the disciples’ attitude was the cultural norm and even the expectation.
When Jesus rebukes his disciple, he is not just showing a cute, sweet, warm attitude towards children. Jesus is not just a nice old uncle who shows up with presents and hugs for birthdays and Christmas. Taken in that culture and that time, Jesus’ actions with the children are shocking. He is breaking the culture norm set up by humans. He is showing us God’s concern for the lowest, least protected, and most abandoned people in our lives. He then blesses them. How is it possible that Jesus concerns himself with blessing “things” that are little more the furniture? What a shocking, crazy thing to do. This is much more than just being cute, sweet, and warm. We cannot relegate the Gospel, Jesus, or our Christian life to just being nice.
Look out into your culture, your family’s lifestyle and your personal experience. Who are the lowest, least protected, the most despised, or the most abandoned in your life, classroom, or recess playground. That is where you will find the presence of God in your life. Look for them and serve them. Go out to them just as God goes out of himself into your life and the life of the most vulnerable in the world.
“I tell you solemnly,
anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child
will never enter it.”
Then he put his arms round them,
laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
Image: CANVA CJ Dunn 29 August 2026 AI Generated.