Saturday in the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time, February 26, 2022

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

We are not told why the people brought their children to Jesus that he might touch them.  We assume that they wanted him to bless them, but this might also have been their pledge of their allegiance to him as the promised Messiah who would liberate Israel.  “The disciples rebuked them.”  The Fathers reflected that they “rebuked” them out of their concern for the Lord’s dignity.  This brings to mind how Michal, the daughter of Saul, saw a loss of dignity in her husband David’s dancing before the Ark of the Covenant and rebuked him for it (cf. 2 Samuel 6, 20).  “When Jesus saw this he became indignant.”  The Greek word translated here as “became indignant” actually means something much stronger, as “incensed”.  The Lord did not show mere annoyance but outrage.  “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  The Lord uses the situation to show how the Pharisees tried to “prevent” the people from “going” to Jesus, and how this angered him.  As the Apostles rebuked the parents and children, so the Pharisees slandered the Lord and challenged him wherever he went, striving to drive the people from him.  The Lord allows the people to come to him, whatever their motivation so that they might “touch” him — that is, be touched by him so that they come to faith.  

“The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  The one thing these children wanted was to be with Jesus, and when they came to him they twined their arms around him so that they might never be separated from him again.  The Kingdom of God belongs to those who have this single-hearted desire for the Lord Jesus.  “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”  The Greek word translated here as “accept” is better translated as “welcome”: Whoever does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.  We might think of a child “welcoming” Christmas morning: joyously.  If we do not look forward to the Kingdom of God — heaven — with all of our being will not welcome it — or be welcomed in it — joyously, when it does come.  “Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.”  This is the destiny of those who seek the Lord: first, to be blessed by him in Baptism and made a member of his Body; second, to be embraced by him as they enter heaven.