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Gospel Commentary for August 16, 2025
Jesus almost always breaks our expectations and invites us to see reality in a new way. That’s what happened to the disciples — they were constantly surprised. They followed Jesus thinking He was the promised Messiah and believed that, by following Him, they would earn the top places in His Kingdom. But then Jesus tells them that the Son of Man will be handed over and crucified.
They never seem to arrive in Jerusalem — the center of Judaism and the place where the Messiah is supposed to be revealed. Instead, Jesus takes His time walking the roads of Galilee, a borderland between the Jewish world and the pagan world. And not only that — He also chooses to mix with tax collectors and sinners, with the sick and the extremely poor. The one who was supposed to represent purity, the Messiah, becomes “impure” by doing so.
The disciples didn’t understand Jesus. Not at all. But something deep inside their hearts told them that, even without understanding, it was worth staying with Him.
We see that in today’s Gospel passage: Jesus and the children.
Let’s set aside the modern idea we have of children — precious little ones who receive all kinds of care and attention. In Jesus’ time, children didn’t matter much. Many were born, and many died. They weren’t considered full persons with rights. They weren’t seen as impure, but they were socially invisible and of little value.
So when Jesus lays His hands on the children and says that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who become like them, it was shocking. A proper teacher would never do that. It would be seen as a waste of time.
That’s why the disciples scolded Him. And the Gospel uses a strong word: they scolded Him. This shows clearly that the disciples didn’t understand anything.
Then — and even now — it’s still hard for us to accept that the poor, the small, and the socially unimportant are the first in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Welcoming them, respecting them, giving them dignity — this is far more important than all the ceremonies, incense, and liturgies we can offer in our churches.