Today’s Gospel reading is a continuation of last week’s, where Jesus overhears the disciples arguing about who is the greatest. In response to them, he invites a child to sit with him. With this object lesson in place, he tells his followers that whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. They must welcome little ones like this child, because doing so in Jesus’s name is like welcoming him. As we continue with today’s reading, we assume that the child is still in their midst, a focal point for these next teachings.
Jesus warns his followers about stumbling blocks - anything that gets in the way of following him. These stumbling blocks take many forms, including the gatekeeping demonstrated by the disciples in this same reading.
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| Photo by Andrzej Rusinowski on Unsplash |
Whenever I read this exchange between John and Jesus, I imagine John speaking in a way that expects a pat on the back. Teacher, brace yourself - we saw someone casting out demons in your name, only he wasn’t following us. Don’t worry, though - we tried to stop him!
And yet, instead of congratulating John on his quick thinking, or thanking him for keeping the message pure, Jesus instead replies, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.”
It seems that the disciples’ proverbial axe, their desire to cut off that which seems not to belong, ought not to be directed at those outsiders who are working in Jesus’s name. Instead, they are called to cut off the impulses and actions within themselves that only serve to alienate them from the way of Jesus. There is far too much work to be done to waste time on being picky about who is on our team.
Gatekeeping is one, but not the only, stumbling block, not the only thing that trips us up on the path of discipleship. We can likely name things in our own lives that make it more difficult to follow Jesus, or which cause us to sin. The people we surround ourselves with, the media we consume, the stereotypes and world view we rely on, our commitments and convictions and certainties - all have the potential to cause us to stumble.
We also stumble and struggle to follow when we’re not watching Jesus, but instead have our gaze fixed on ourselves and our own wishes and desires. St. Augustine, and later Luther, used the imagery of being curved in on yourself to describe sin. Sin twists even the best gifts of God in a selfish manner. Sin draws our attention away from the needs and gifts of the world around us, instead focusing only on ourselves. From this posture, we do not pay attention to the ways our actions affect others, particularly the vulnerable in our midst, like the little ones Jesus mentions.
There are certainly steps we can take to clear the pathway of stumbling blocks. We can part ways with so-called friends who actually bring out the worst in us. We can limit our consumption of media that stokes hatred and judgement within our hearts. We can make choices about how we spend our time and who we follow on social media, stepping away from situations and accounts that bring out our worst traits or leave us feeling jealous, inadequate, or worthless. We can seek help from others in order to live into the wholeness that God intends for our lives.
But however helpful all of that may be, a list of things we should do is still not the freeing, grace-filled, and life-giving Gospel of Jesus. Hear then this good news - you do not need to trip and stumble your way to God, worrying about missed steps or wrong turns. God instead comes to us. God comes to us, calls us beloved, and claims us as God’s own. Clothed with Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened for life in relationship with God and one another. God comes to us with forgiveness and grace, embracing us and welcoming us for life together with all who are gathered in Christ’s name.
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