Gospel in Art: Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

Let the children come onto me, Fritz von Uhde © Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig, Germany

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 21 February 2023
Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, 'The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.' But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you arguing about on the road?' They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.' He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, 'Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'

Reflection on the painting

Arguments and disagreements are part of life. Each of us can see the same reality differently, always ready to argue in favour of our own point of view. A football match recounted by the supporter of one team will be presented very differently by a supporter of the opposite team. They all watched the same match, yet the accounts will be very different. Some of these arguments and disagreements can be healthy, provided that people are open to listening the other person's point of view and be respectful.

Some issues however are simply not worth arguing over. We can find ourselves getting into unnecessary arguments that serve very little useful purpose. We can feel in today's reading that Jesus thought that the argument the disciples were having was not one that was serving a good purpose. They were arguing about which of them should be considered the greatest. A pointless discussion. They were ambitious for their own little kingdom, rather than for the kingdom of God.

Jesus then, to make his point, took a little child and told them they should be like the child: innocent, weak, powerless, vulnerable, lacking in honour and prestige, humble, keen to learn… Our painting by Fritz von Uhde depicts Jesus being surrounded by children in a late-19th-century domestic setting. The artist is thus making clear that Jesus is timeless and present in each of our domestic settings… prompting us to have a child-like curiosity, joy and innocence.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-9-30-37-2023/