They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer,
because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.”
Then he took a little child, placed him in their midst, and putting his arms around him he said to them,
“Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me, but the One who sent me.”
REFLECTION:
What a disappointment! Jesus just came down from Tabor, he just healed the epileptic boy whom the apostles have not managed to heal,
and he just talked about his own death. Jesus saw that things are taking a very ugly turn;
his plan of salvation is getting stuck on the shallows of mistrust and the open opposition of the Pharisees. What would he do?
Words and miracles are not enough. He saw a growing hostility around him. In a moment of deep emotion and of understandable suffering,
Jesus proclaimed that he is willing to continue even if he should die. But what did the apostles talk about?
Who will become the “prime minister” in the Kingdom of the Messiah?
Very tragic! The disciples did not understand anything. But Jesus sets aside his own pain, called them once again and taught them.
And he set before them a little child as a model.
Whenever we get impatient with the slowness and shallowness of others,
let us remember the patience of the Lord who continues to give second and third chances to his people and who teaches us to be small as the way to become great.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020