A Right to the Bounty

“They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”

But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.’”

There is a definite logic in Jesus’ words juxtaposing the innocence and wholeness of childhood with the concept of greatness and leadership the disciples seem to be grappling with amongst themselves. The scene Mark paints is a very human one. We all want to be esteemed, we all want to be loved and we would all like to feel that we have been successful in at least one or two things in our life’s journey.

Our task as disciples is to acquire the heart of a child by moving beyond the things that have wounded and hardened us.

But on that journey we have also been wounded, betrayed and disillusioned. In a real sense we can become hardened in our posture towards certain people, certain cultures and in our attitudes to certain issues. Our task as disciples is to acquire the heart of a child by moving beyond the things that have wounded and hardened us. There is an understated insight into the human psyche in Jesus’ seemingly simple action: if we genuinely will to serve others there will be a change at the heart level; we will grow in our appreciation of their dignity; we will realize our common humanity; and we will come to understand that justice demands all have a right to the bounty of God’s creation. English writer G.K. Chesterton once remarked “one sees great things from the valley; only small things from the top.”

Being a servant, being “lowly” – as distinct from being a doormat – allows us see life from a different “angle,” looking up rather than looking down.

“Lord, help us discern the meaning of our call to be servants and the ways you seek to minister through our lives. Inspired by the knowledge that the world and its people are your gift, may we serve one another in peace, stand firm in what is true and decrease when others should increase. May we always be people of vision and compassion, as faithful followers of Jesus, your Son. Amen.”