Casual Saints

     One of the daily readings* for this week was Matthew 18:1-5, which goes like this:

                At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked,

                “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

               Then Jesus called a little child over to sit among the disciples, and said,

                “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around

                  and become like this little child, 

                  you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven.

                  Those who humble themselves like this little child

                  will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

                  Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

     Did you see what Jesus did there? I love what Jesus did there! He put “entrance” and “greatness” together. Our tendency, just like Jesus’ original disciples, is to separate “how to get in” and “how to be great.” When we do that, we can assume we’re in and get hung up on being great, or we can settle for “getting in” and leave “being great” to some other person who is more of a “saint” than we could ever be. When we discover “saint” in the New Testament usage refers to anybody who is part of the Church we can no longer leave the greatness to someone else – because there is no one else when we realize we’re all the same. But we can still forgo the greatness, settling for being “casual saints” just happy to be part of the in crowd.

     Jesus seems to be beckoning us towards the realization that the invitation to enter the kingdom is likewise an invitation to be “great” in the Kingdom. And then Jesus redefines what greatness truly looks like. Greatness looks like a child.

     Greatness is humility (“those who humble themselves”) and hospitality (“whoever welcomes”). These two qualities adorn the entrance to the Kingdom of God, and they define “Greatness” in the Kingdom, too. The “Casual Saint” might dare to neglect humility and hospitality… but we were not called to be such. We are invited to enter into the greatness of what it means to dwell all our days in Christ’s Kingdom.

     Regard others as better than yourself. We need this so desperately in the world today. Practice humility. Extend welcome to strangers and those different from yourself. We need this so desperately in the world today. Practice hospitality.

     Enter the Kingdom, and consent to the Spirit’s power, and the Way of Jesus, which make you Great!

*I use the daily scripture readings found in the daily lectionary   https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/daily.php?