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Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 24, 2006 Sermon by The Rev. Bill Van Oss, Rector
Readings       

The Clowns of God

In a poignant scene at the end of Morris West’s novel, The Clowns of God, Jesus has made his presence known in the midst of a small French community the night before Christmas. It is the eve of World War III, and a terrified world is bracing for nuclear holocaust.

As a small group of political and church leaders look on, Jesus lifts a mentally handicapped child out of her high chair, kisses her and sits her on his knee. He dips a crust of bread in wine and feeds it to her, morsel by morsel. As he does so, Jesus says:

“I know what you are thinking. You need a sign. What better one could I give than to make this little one whole and new? I could do it; but I will not. I am the Lord and not a conjuror. I gave this mite a gift I denied all of you—eternal innocence. To you she looks imperfect—but to me she is flawless. She will never offend me, as all of you have done. She will never pervert or destroy the work of [my] hands. She is necessary to you.

She will evoke the kindness that will keep you human. Her infirmity will prompt you to gratitude for your own good fortune, and more! She will remind you that every day that I am who I am, that my ways are not your ways, and that the smallest dust mote whirled in the darkest space does not fall out of my hand . . . I have chosen you. You have not chosen me. This little one is my sign to you. Treasure her!”

This little one, imperfect as she might seem, is my sign to you, Christ says. She is the greatest in the kingdom of God.

A little child, at the time of Jesus, would have had no status, no rank or power, or rights at all. Children were the property of their father, until they were old enough to have children of their own. But Jesus uses a little child to teach a lesson about greatness.

It must have shocked the disciples—they were embarrassed when Jesus caught them arguing about, “Who was the greatest,”. Their silence betrays their embarrassment.

But instead of giving them a scolding, Jesus gives them a sign—a little child. The disciples probably hadn’t even noticed the child hanging around but the child had been following Jesus, probably hanging back in the shadows, and Jesus noticed her. Jesus appreciated her uncomplicated and genuine faith, her willingness to just follow Him and listen to Him, her innocence. She did not engage in clawing and elbowing for rank and position and power. And Jesus makes her a sign as He teaches us about greatness.

Jesus teaches us that greatness is not about power, or wealth, or gender, or intelligence, or physical strength, or having all the answers, or even being close to Him, in the “inner circle. Greatness is achieved through innocence and trust, not being so quick to see the flaws and imperfections in ourselves and others, but seeing that we are sons and daughters of God, and that God loves us beyond our wildest imagining in spite of our sins and failings.

Children, and especially those our society labels as “disadvantaged” or “handicapped” or “challenged”, are embraced by Christ and held up as signs of true greatness. For they possess the qualities necessary for true greatness—innocence, kindness, gentleness and trust—and they are God’s beloved.

But they are so often pushed aside, ignored and pitied, at the very least, and sometimes even despised and overtly rejected.

Today’s lesson from the Book of Wisdom speaks of this: It speaks of how the genuinely good and authentically holy person raises our hackles. Why is it we have such a penchant for reviling the good and the just? Why do we consider the just “obnoxious?”, to use the word from our first reading. Why do we smile at children and dismiss them with a pat on the head instead of following their example?

Why are we so quick to pity and dismiss those the world labels imperfect and those different than ourselves? They have the “wisdom from above” spoken of in James—”pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.

And Christ holds them up as signs of true greatness. Their innocence, genuineness, faithfulness, gentleness and small acts of kindness are what life is really all about.

Their presence is grace in our midst. Jesus teaches us that the reign of God is found in welcoming the little ones, those without rank or stature according to the world’s standards.

In God’s view, the smallest among us, the neediest among us, possesses infinite value. May we put ourselves in the humble service of the lowly child so that we might claim a place in the kingdom of God.

For the least and the lowly are the greatest in God’s eyes.
      
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