Saturday in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time, August 17, 2024

Matthew 19, 13-15

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

Probably a mother returning from the marketplace in the center of town saw Jesus walking along and suddenly had the inspiration to bring her children from her house to him so that he might bless them.  It might be the case that she knew that he and the Apostles were leaving for Jerusalem and that this could be the last time she would have the chance to do this.  So she hurried up with her small children and interrupted whatever the Lord was doing at the time and asked him to lay hands on them.  She did not ask the Lord to bless them, for at this time the children’s father could bless them, something he would do at the end of his life, as the elderly Jacob blessed the sons of his son Joseph (cf. Genesis 48, 9).  Similarly, a rabbi might bless his students. But it is probably with these examples in mind that she brings her children to him.

The Lord lay his hands on them and prayed aloud over them.  The Son of God prayed to his Father for the health and salvation of these children, that they would serve him all their lives and be happy in his service.  And then the woman takes her children by their hands and goes back to her house.  Jesus returns to walking or talking with his Apostles, but other women who have seen this go and bring out their children, interrupting again and again.  The Apostles are annoyed and rebuke the mothers.  

“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them.”  The Greek has, “Permit the children to come to me.”  The English translation implies that the Apostles are to assume a passive stance.  The Greek, though, gives them an active role in encouraging the mothers and children to approach Jesus.

“For the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  We note that the Lord says “such as these”: he does not say that the Kingdom belongs to “these” children specifically, but to “such as these” — those who are child-like in some way.  This teaching relates most especially to purity, but in it the Lord also means such virtues as humility and meekness.  The virtue of purity is necessary for us because it enables us to give ourselves entirely to God without reservation, just as it is necessary for those preparing for marriage so that a man and a woman may give themselves to each other without reservation.  We see the primacy of purity over, say, meekness, in the Beatitudes, for the meek shall inherit the land — that is, become heirs of heaven — but it is the pure of heart who shall “see God” — become like him (1 John 3, 2).

“After he placed his hands on them, he went away.”  He did not depart until he had laid his hands on every child who was brought forward.  He left immediately afterward, burning with zeal to continue teaching about the Kingdom.