Learning from children: 7th Saturday of the year

“Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (Mk 10:15) The original Greek text allows for two interpretations: like a child receives, and the second interpretation, like a child is received.

Both are supported by parallels in the gospel. Mk 9:36 advises us to receive people who are like children because that is receiving Jesus and the Father themselves. Mt 18:3 advises us to “become like children”. So, it seems that children have a double lesson to teach us. One, to learn to receive them; the other, to learn to welcome the Kingdom as they welcome it. Which begs for a second question. How do children welcome the Kingdom?

Adults have learnt to develop a fear of gratuity, a fear of receiving freely and gratis. Once they receive something, they feel they need to pay back and don’t feel good until they do. A kind of shame prevents us from accepting with total simplicity and humility.

Children accept things from parents with a total different attitude. Once I heard an adult ask a child why he couldn’t do things by himself and the child answered with total naturality: “… because I am only a child.”

The reason why we need the kingdom is only because we are children. We cannot deserve it. It is a free gift for which we cannot pay. We certainly must be grateful, but must learn to receive it with total simplicity and humility.

A subtle humility: Holy Thursday

Surprisingly, the history of sin repeats itself. Abused children end up being abusive parents. As ironic as it may sound, statistics continually confirm that disheartening fact. It seems that sin is infectious. If that is the case, we should ask, is love infectious too? Should we be loved in order for us to love?

Only the gospel of John tells of the washing of the disciples’ feet. Washing of the feet was something everyone was supposed to do by himself. Slaves could not be obliged to wash their master’s feet. But occasionally disciples would do it for their teacher.

We tend to interpret this in terms of the humble service that Christ showed towards his disciples, and it was, of course, correct. In fact, Peter protested of this service. If ever, he should be the one washing Jesus’ feet.

But what Peter was called to exercise was also a kind of humility. It was pride, or false humility, that prevented Peter from letting Jesus wash his feet. Only when Jesus told him of the reward, does he go to the other extreme of asking Jesus to wash even his head.

God knows, not only that sin is infectious, he knows that the only cure, His love, is infectious too and Jesus wants to begin infecting everyone starting with his disciples. The first letter of John explains it explicitly, “God loved us first.” Only if we accept in humility a God who serves us, can we learn to serve and love as He serves and loves.