Being Vulnerable

Homily for Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Chapters eight, nine, and ten of St. Mark’s Gospel each contain a prediction of Jesus of his passion and death. Today we hear the second of those predictions. You will remember that when he first told the disciples about this, Peter was the one to argue with him about it. This time, no one rebukes Jesus, but they end up arguing among themselves about which of them was the greatest in the group. Coming as it does immediately after the prediction of his death, it seems that they imagine that one of them will take over as the leader of the group. Their desire to be important in the eyes of their contemporaries is not unusual, but to enter into this discussion immediately after Jesus has predicted his death is very inappropriate.

In answer to their discussion, Jesus takes a child and places it in their midst. Children were the most vulnerable members in this culture. More than 50% of the children born at that time died before reaching their teenage years. Poor sanitation, a poor and subsistence kind of diet, and the lack of any real healthcare all contributed to the high rate of mortality among children. When Jesus tells his disciples that they must become like little children and that to receive such a child is to receive both him and the Father, he is telling them that they must make themselves vulnerable, that they must be without power or status, and that they must serve without expecting anything in return.

If we are seeking God’s presence, we need to look no further than the most vulnerable members of our society. As such, they are worthy of our special attention. How we treat those who are judged to be the least among us is a mark of our greatness as a community of disciples. It is St. Matthew who expands this idea by telling us that Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats based solely on how we treat the least in our social context.

As promised in today’s reading from the Book of Sirach, this type of service comes with a future reward. We are called to remain steadfast in serving the Lord despite trials and humiliation. In times of difficulty, we are to cling to the Lord. We must place our trust in him to help us through every trial. As we gather at this Eucharistic table, we represent Christ’s body in the world today. Let it be said of us that we are true disciples who offer our humble service to all.