Check our Posture

Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms...

Scripture:

Mark 9:33   Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” ³⁴ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. ³⁵ He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Observation:

Jesus has been revealing his identity and his authority to his disciples but they still fail to comprehend God’s kingdom. Clinging to the ideas of earthly power and authority, even after Jesus announced that he would die, the disciples argue about their positions within Jesus’ system. They think they understand what he’s talking about but they are limited to their own vision of power. 

Embarrassed, they reluctantly reveal that they have been arguing. Whether Jesus is frustrated or not, we don’t know, but he attempts to explain the matter through an illustration. He takes a child in his arms and places the little one among them. This is a shocking moment for children in the first century are held in low regard: infanticide is rampant and baby girls often thrown away by society. This “throw-away” person in society is the one whom we are to serve. By welcoming those whom society would deem unworthy, we welcome the one who sent Jesus. 

Application:

This very honest and transparent conversation became a turning point in the lives of the disciples. Sometimes it takes those moments where we are operating and jostling for position in the human realm that we discover that we are on the wrong track. The early church was so profoundly affected by this encounter that they became known as a people who rescued babies who were abandoned on the edge of town. They would go and take the children who were thrown away and raise them with love and care in their own homes. People who had very little to offer were willing to share all that they had with the least of these. The attitude of the disciples gradually began to change and after Pentecost we see a group of humble servants who, ultimately, suffered as a result of their faith. 

This passage has led to my own soul-searching. While we may have positions of leadership, we should always check our posture. Worldly position means nothing within God’s kingdom and should only be used as a resource for the Lord’s work. If anyone has a position of leadership, they must recognize that they are only to be stewards of that position for the sake of the least of these. Leveraging power for personal benefit or to demean others is a corruption of service in the kingdom of God. 

John Chrysostom said, “If you are in love with precedence and the highest honor, pursue the things in last place, pursue being the least valued of all, pursue being the lowliest of all, pursue being the smallest of all, pursue placing yourselves behind others.” (The Gospel of St. Matthew, Homily 58) Chrysostom is reminding us of our posture. In this advent season may we pursue last place, being valued the least, and always seeking out those who need to be placed before us. Posture reflects our understanding of life in the kingdom. 

Prayer:

Lord, may you fill me every day with your holy presence and may I live in humility in that presence. May my posture be one of service to you through everyone I encounter. Amen.