By Amala William, CSC –
Readings: Deut 31: 1-8; Mt 18: 1-5, 10, 12-14
‘Be strong, stand firm, have no fear’ these are the reassuring words of God through Moses to his people. We see in the 1st reading God calling Moses to do his will in his life that a) He will be brought up in the Pharaoh’s palace. b) will become a sparkling hope for the Israelites who all the time grumble and gnash against God and him and, c) reach the verge of the chosen land and not be allowed to enter it. In order to fulfill this, Moses has to become primarily aware that everything that is happening in his life is God’s doing. He should have the faith of a little child.
In the Gospel the disciples asked Jesus “Who is the greatest?” Jesus in turn called a child among them and said two things a) this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and b) unless you change and become like little children you cannot become the greatest. Jewish tradition considers women and children very insignificant in the society. Keeping all that in mind Jesus highlights the qualities of a child in front of them: simple, innocent, truthful, dependent, and straightforward in their approach.
Jesus invites us to ‘become mature leaders in the sight of God’. Moses, like a little child, by cooperating with the plan of God becomes one of the great leaders in the Jewish history. We could become greater than Moses by becoming like the little children.