46 The disciples began to argue and became preoccupied over who would be the greatest one among them. 47 Fully aware of their innermost thoughts, Jesus called a little child to his side and said to them, 48 “If you tenderly care for this little child on my behalf, you are tenderly caring for me. And if you care for me, you are honoring my Father who sent me. For the one who is least important in your eyes is actually the most important one of all.”  Luke 9:46–48 (TPT)

You are sad.   Why?  Because you are living in yourself and not in God.   It is a matter of living in His presence.  You must realize: God is there.   You are not alone for a single second.   He surrounds you.   He sees you.   He bears everything with you.   He wants to help you.  Always live in the assurance that God is present.   This consciousness of His presence will transform everything for you, and your sadness with disappear. Basilea Schlink, Father Of Comfort.

To our amazement we find that the place where we screw up the most is the place where God loves us the most.   Nothing is closer to the heart of the gospel than this.   Belden Lane, Backpacking With The Saints.  

This incident in Luke 9:46-48 is often depicted as a moment of tenderness.   The artist draws Jesus sitting on a large rock.   His long brown hair, his white and blue robe, his gentle smile are the center of many five-year-old children who look to Him in love.   “Oh, isn’t Jesus a nice guy!   He likes kids!” 

I have my doubts about the reality of that interpretation of the scene.   In fact, if that is all we see I think we are missing the point of why Luke included this in his story.   Shift your eyes away from the children and Jesus and look at the twelve guys standing around with their arms crossed and frowns on their faces.   They are standing in a few groups.   Perhaps brothers Peter and Andrew stand together and brothers James and John stand together.   There always has been some tension among them.   They have some old issues.   They are having a fight about who is next in line behind Jesus in authority.   If they were Americans they would have made some promises to other disciples as to what they could get if an allegiance was formed.  

This isn’t the last time that they would have this fight.   Two of them get their mother to approach Jesus and ask for cabinet appointments when he establishes His kingdom (Matt. 20:21).   They are extremely ambitious.   They have influence and they want more.   That night in the upper room during the final hours they would be with the Master they get into the same fight over who was smarter, more courageous, more faithful – greatest (Luke 22:24).   They just didn’t get it.   After all the twelve had seen and been taught this does seem incredulous.   They had literally lived with Jesus for three years and they still didn’t get it.   And yet, here it is.   Think of how Jesus must have felt.

I try to read the gospel accounts with the realization that not everything is reported and put in the story.   But what about scenes like this?   It makes the twelve disciples look rather bad.   Why might this have been of such importance that it earned ink and parchment?   Luke, Matthew, and Mark all include it.   Again, it really isn’t about the children.   It is about us, all of us, and it is about the core reality of the gospel.   Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to preach the gospel with his death.  

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.   Luke 9:24 (ESV)

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.   Luke 17:33 (ESV)

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.   John 12:25 (ESV)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

The disciples had some dying to do before they could see life.   By dying, I mean the relinquishment of pride and the abandonment of selfish power.   That takes effort and time.   It is a thousand deaths to so many habits and insufficient ploys to feel important, loved, and necessary.   Only God can fill those needs.  

Henry Nouwen once had an accident that was life-threatening to him.   The “interruption” as he called it gave him the opportunity to seek the presence of God in the midst of uncertainty and loss.   Before his surgery he writes:

In the face of death, I realized that it was not love that keep me clinging to life but unresolved anger.   Love, real love flowing from me or toward me, sets me free to die.   Death would not undo that love.   Henry Nouwen, Beyond the Mirror

Unresolved anger.   Sit with that for a while.   We need the freedom to die.   What is holding me back from letting go of my need to control and complain?  

We don’t always succeed.   But sometimes failure proves to be a better gift.  Failure points us back to the true measure of our worth, so something grounded in nothing that we do, but only in what we are.   Beldon Lane, Backpacking with the Saints.