Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, February 22, 2023
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: We are called to become like the people we are called to serve.
Jesus tells us we must “become like children” to enter the kingdom of heaven. One way we might interpret Jesus’ words is to try to pick apart what qualities children have that we might emulate: innocence, trust, generosity, curiosity.
But let’s look a little further into the text. The next thing Jesus says is “If you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me…” If we are to take Jesus at his words, then the “little ones” we are to become like are the ones Jesus has called his disciples to serve. In other words, Jesus calls us to become like the ones we are called to serve. This puts a whole new spin on our perspective of “children.” It’s not the generalized idea of childhood that Jesus is talking about, but the specific “little ones” that are right in front of us.
So, if we are called to serve those who are poor, vulnerable, or sick, then Jesus is asking us to step into the shoes of those we are serving. And more… we are to avoid placing stumbling blocks before them.
For example, then, if we are called to sit by the bedside of someone in hospice, Jesus calls us to sit with them where they are. We don’t need to offer platitudes. We don’t need to solve their medical issues. We don’t need to heal their dysfunctional families. And we certainly don’t need to preach to them about what they must do to ensure their place in heaven. (That would be a stumbling block to be sure). No, we may be called simply to sit with them and avoid creating more chaos. We can be strong when they feel weak. We can be wise when they feel lost.
I once knew a family whose matriarch was dying. She did not consider herself Christian and had never been baptized. She was quite content with the knowledge that she would soon die and had no desire to be baptized. She had family, though, that was devoutly Christian, and who believed only the baptized are saved. During one of her final days when she was in and out of consciousness, her family baptized her without her consent. I have long found that act to be exactly what Jesus was talking about when he said not to be a stumbling block. The choice was hers to make, and the family robbed her of the opportunity to make that decision. While it made the family feel better, it disrespected the very person it intended to serve. Without “becoming like” this child of God—without empathy—the family could not understand or respect her choice.
We are called to meet people where they are. We are not called to fix them, to change them, to convert them, or disrespect them. We are called to serve, and give to them what they need, not what we need. We can serve better if we get out of the way and leave the fixing and changing to God.
