The Ladder Doesn’t Matter - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Summary

In this reflection, the speaker explores the story of Jesus and the little children, emphasizing its significance in the Gospels. The disciples, obsessed with honor and status, miss the deeper meaning of Jesus' teachings. Through the image of Jesus embracing a child, the speaker challenges the audience to reject the pursuit of power and honor. Instead, they should embrace childlike simplicity, humility, and the pure joy of being in God's presence. The story highlights the value of shedding egotism and worldly distractions to find true spiritual fulfillment.

Takeaways

• 😀 The story of Jesus with the little children appears in three synoptic gospels, showing its importance to early Christians.
• 🤔 The disciples often missed the key message of Jesus, even when He spoke about His death and resurrection.
• 😅 Instead of focusing on the profound teachings of Jesus, the disciples were concerned with arguing about who among them was the greatest.
• 🙄 Humans, in various contexts like political organizations or families, waste time worrying about honor, status, and who gets the most attention.
• 🤷‍♂️ Jesus teaches that true greatness comes from being last and serving others, not from striving for personal honor.
• 👶 Jesus uses a child as an example, showing that a child, who had no social status in His time, represents the ideal for entering God's kingdom.
• 🌱 Children are able to live without self-preoccupation, and this humility and simplicity is what Jesus wants for His followers.
• 🏞️ Spiritual joy comes from shedding egotism and embracing life as it is, finding beauty and peace in simple things like nature.
• 🎯 The 'ladder' of status and honor is a distraction from what truly matters in life: living joyfully and humbly in God's presence.
• 🙏 Being childlike, not childish, means being the person God intends, and living simply with humility, like the theologian Thomas Aquinas.

Q & A

What is the main message that Jesus conveys to His disciples in the story with the child?

Jesus uses the child to convey the message that true greatness is found in humility and service, not in seeking honor or status. By embracing a child, someone of low social standing, Jesus teaches that we must let go of worldly concerns like status and instead live with childlike simplicity and humility.

Why is the disciples' conversation about 'who is the greatest' significant?

The disciples’ focus on 'who is the greatest' highlights their misunderstanding of Jesus' core teachings. While Jesus speaks of His impending death and resurrection—central to the Christian message—they are distracted by concerns of status and recognition, missing the deeper spiritual significance of His words.

Why does the speaker believe the story of Jesus and the children was vividly remembered by early Christians?

The speaker suggests that the early Christians likely intuited that this story was central to the heart of Jesus’ teaching. It revealed key aspects of His life and values—humility, simplicity, and a rejection of societal hierarchies, which are core to living a life aligned with Jesus' message.

What is the 'ladder' metaphor used in the speech, and what does it represent?

The 'ladder' represents society's obsession with status, recognition, and honor. People are constantly preoccupied with climbing up this metaphorical ladder, seeking to be 'on top' or 'the greatest,' but Jesus teaches that this pursuit is ultimately meaningless in the context of the kingdom of God.

How does the speaker contrast the way children were viewed in Jesus' time versus today?

In Jesus' time, children were seen as nobodies—unimportant and low in social standing. Today, children are often viewed sentimentally, with their innocence being cherished. Jesus’ act of embracing a child was radical in that society, as it elevated someone considered insignificant to a place of importance.

What does the speaker mean by saying children enter life 'without self-preoccupation'?

The speaker means that children engage with the world without constantly referencing their own ego or concerns about status. They are able to fully immerse themselves in activities, such as playing with a ball, without worrying about how they are perceived or their place in social hierarchies.

What lesson does Jesus teach by taking a child and placing them in the midst of the disciples?

By placing a child in their midst, Jesus teaches the disciples that the pursuit of greatness in terms of status is misguided. Instead, they should embrace humility and become like children, who are free from the concerns of honor and status, to enter the kingdom of God.

How does the speaker interpret Jesus’ statement, 'Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me'?

The speaker interprets this statement as Jesus identifying Himself with the child, meaning that by welcoming and embracing those who are humble and insignificant in society, we are welcoming Jesus Himself. It’s a call to embrace humility and serve those who are often overlooked.

How does the speaker relate the story to Aquinas' teachings on distractions from God?

The speaker references Thomas Aquinas’ 'big four distractions from God'—wealth, pleasure, power, and honor. In the story, the disciples’ obsession with honor is a distraction from understanding the deeper spiritual truths Jesus is trying to impart. Jesus counters this by teaching them to be humble, like children, and to stop focusing on worldly concerns.

What is the significance of comparing a child to a flower, animal, or planet in this speech?

The comparison emphasizes that, like a flower or animal, a child embodies the pure essence of being what God intended them to be. Unlike adults who become distracted by ego and societal expectations, a child simply exists as they are, giving glory to God through their innocent, unselfconscious being.