What I’m Thinking: Welcome God’s Children

Christianity isn’t about competition. It’s about welcoming God’s children.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the end of chapter nine of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 9:38-50). This appears to continue on the same conversation from last week’s reading, the reading in which Jesus clarified that greatness is to be found in service.

So that means that there was still a child present, the one that Jesus had called over to talk about how important it was to welcome a child, and that those who welcome children are those who welcome Jesus, and those who welcome Jesus are those who welcome God.

Well, that brought up a question for John, who asked about somebody who had been casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They’d stopped him because he wasn’t one of Jesus’ followers. Jesus said, no, anybody who does a good work in my name is not going to be able to speak ill of me. So don’t put stumbling blocks in the way of people. And if your hand, or your foot, or your eye cause you to sin – which I think here means to place those stumbling blocks in front of people – then cut them off.

With the child present, with that recognition of welcome present, I think that what Jesus is telling us here is that religious competition is not the aim. The aim is welcome. The aim is compassion. The aim is care. It is still all about the children of God – the small keiki, and the adult keiki, and the kupuna keiki, if you like.

It is all about the children of God.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below; I’d love to hear from you.