One Name = Welcome

Reflection: There are names that cause fear. There are names that produce outrage. There are names that alienate, and there are names that exclude. Sadly, some people have come to view the name of Jesus like this, when in reality, the name of Jesus is aligned with ‘welcome’. Regardless of how the name of Jesus may have been used in your past, we owe it to Jesus to learn from his life what his name actually conveys.

In our reading today, we come across Jesus who is trying to teach his disciples an important lesson. Like us, they couldn’t help but be driven by ego, by the need to be significant, to be competing with one another for the greatest honours. How relatable!

So, Jesus calls a child to him (note – he doesn’t grab a child or command a child, he gives a personal invitation for a child to come to him. That the child responded freely, tells us something about the nature of Jesus).

Then, even though children were not viewed as full persons with independent rights, Jesus tells his disciples (key followers) that they need to become like little children, if they want to enter the kingdom of God. In other words, put aside your pride and your ego, and practice humility towards one another.

But then Jesus does something even more profound. With the child still standing in their presence, perhaps getting a little bored of all the adult talk, Jesus says, ‘whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’. (Matt 18:5 NIV). If we really desire to welcome Jesus into our lives, we’ll extend that same welcome to even the humblest or least significant person we meet. Suddenly the lowest and the least become the most important of all, because they are identified with no less than the Son of God.

One Name today: Reflect on how much you are motivated by gain, recognition, pride, position, or the fear of missing out on the praise of others. Wherever you find these things, lay them down, and instead become like the little child, totally dependent on the love of God. In doing so, you become greater than you can measure.