What is your favorite gospel story about Jesus? What does it reveal about him? What might this choice be saying about your own image of Jesus?
One of my favorite Gospel stories is that of Jesus blessing the children in Mark 10v13-16. I can picture Jesus standing there and all of these anzious parents and grandparents and friends pushing their way through the crowds. The disciples, well intentioned yet seriously mistake,
are trying to push them back. But Jesus stops them and firmly, yet lovingly rebukes them.
This story reminds me how much God loves each of us from the oldest grandmother to the newborn baby, from the most "important" head of state to the lonely abandoned child on the street begging for food. And plain old me, somewhere in the middle. It also reminds me how important children are in the life of the Church. Jesus say the children as important now, not just as part of the future, and he blessed them and touched them and loved them now. And he told the disciples they had something to learn from them, just as we do today. We can learn from their joy and enthusiasm. We can learn from their simple faith and many questions. We can learn from those great jewels of wisdom that can only come from the mouth of a child.
I think this passage often sticks out at me because I spend so much time working with children. These are the talents and passions God has given me. II have seen the love and joy through children. I have tried to answer their many questions. I have heard the little nuggets of wisdom. And at the same time it reminds me that even when they don't listen and run around like crazy manics, there is still something for God to teach me. And often I act the same wya towards God. He still love me, so my job is to still love them.
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