In the time and place Jesus lived, children had no power or status. [1]So it isn’t surprising that the disciples turned them away, they had important adult work to do. What is surprising is that Jesus pays attention to the children. Jesus paid attention to all kinds of people who society deemed unimportant or unworthy. Jesus puts children right in the middle of the story of God’s unfolding kingdom. Not someday when they get older or pass a test. Present tense: “Children are at the center.”
The disciples learn an important lesson about how followers of Jesus are meant to include those on the margins. The children then and those who hear this story 2,000 years later learn that in a world where children are hushed and left out and overlooked, they matter to Jesus.
As we begin the school year, adults who care for children are mindful of the stressors in our community. Sometimes it feels as though there is never enough time to do what feels required for our children’s success. It is easy to overfill our days with practice, test prep, enrichments, and carpool.
[1] See “The Least and the Greatest: Children in the New Testament” by Judith M Gundry-Volf in The Child in Christian Thought edited by Marcia Bunge.