WHO IS THE LEASTEST 

IN THE KINGDOM OF EARTH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 19^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Who Is The Leastest in the Kingdom of Earth?”

I’m contrasting that title with the question which appears in the opening sentence of today’s gospel, “The disciples approached Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?’” [Cf. Matthew 18: 1-5, 10, 12-14]  

Who is the least in the Kingdom of Earth? Who is considered to be on the bottom the ladder?

Is it a family or someone  living under the bridge on Rowe Blvd? Is the people sitting forever on that black bench on the edge of West Street and Church Circle? Is that guy in dirty jeans and beard and fading brown T-shirt who walks all over Annapolis every day?

And looking at our world, whom do we consider the least? Is it the person we devalue in our mind the most? Is it the person with different religious or political or social values than us?

WHO IS THE GREATEST?

We can also get at all this by looking at the top of the ladder? Whom do we think is the greatest?

I understand that people hid out in the confessionals when Pat Sajak of Wheel of Fortune fame was married here. If 4 Orioles or Nationals or Redskins or Ravens players were in a restaurant which we were in, would we sense that they are more important than the  Hispanic bus boy or the 66 year old waitress.  Of course to be honest, if they were Giants, I’d look up to them.

Who are the top people in our estimation? How do we calculate? By age or car or cash or job or title or looks or clothes?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

We heard in today’s gospel how Jesus called a child over and placed him or her in their midst. That’s how he answered his disciples question, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Become humble like a little child. Welcome little children in your midst and you’ll discover the kingdom - as well as the meaning of life.

Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh in their Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels present  a picture of how people saw children in the time of Jesus. The authors say we see these cute little children standing in front of Jesus with great smiles and sweet disposition. They report that in Jesus’ time children were seen as the “weakest and most vulnerable members of society. Infant mortality rates sometimes reached 30 percent. Another 30 percent of live births were dead by age six, and 60 percent were gone by age sixteen.”  They go on, “Recent estimates are that in excess of 70 percent  would have lost one or both parents before reaching puberty.” Then they close that comment by saying, “It is no wonder that antiquity glorified youth and venerated old age.” [p. 117]  Keep that in mind on why in the first reading -  we have that folk law legend of Moses living till at least 120. [Cf. Deuteronomy 32: 3-4ab, 7, 8, 9, and 12]

So in ancient times there was a lot of sickness and coughing and widows and orphans in each neighborhood - and lots of funerals. And families often had to live together in the same house - because of the horrors of sickness and death - so people didn’t seem that great - especially the feeling of being dragged down by all kinds of sick kids or kids without parents.

So for Jesus to put a little kid like that on a pedestal - that was a bold statement - and then he adds shepherds - stinky, smelly shepherds who slept in the fields - and were rarely home - are people to be honored.  Don’t you love it that Pope Francis is telling bishops to driver simpler cars and smell like shepherds.

CONCLUSION

St. Mary’s has chosen as it’s theme for this year: “Every person matters.” There’s the gospel message in miniature. That’s evangelization. Let’s not complicate it with thousands of words. There’s the secret of life: See and treat every person. little, old, stinky or perfumed - as the greatest - that they matter to you.

Then feel what’s happening to the lines and wrinkles on your face and on the skin of your soul.