Love Is Not Rude (1)
Scripture Reading — 1 Cor. 13:5a; Mark 10:13-16
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Rudeness is an inappropriate expression of anger. We are rude when we put others down with harsh or obscene words, insults, sarcasm. We are often rude to persons who are rude to us, or who we think are not worthy of our time and attention.
The disciples acted rudely toward the people who were bringing their little children to Jesus for his blessing. They felt that Jesus had more important things to do, and more important people to see than to be bothered with poor, weak, insignificant people and their children.
Many people today think and behave like the disciples did. They think that if you want to get ahead in this world you must be seen and embraced by people with money, influence, and important connections. People often choose to be rude, mean, and disrespectful to anyone they feel they don’t need.
When Jesus saw how his disciples were mistreating the people, he was filled with righteous anger. They were turning away the very people for whom the kingdom of God has been prepared. In God’s eyes all of us, regardless of our age or status, are little children. In order to survive, we need his ongoing watchful, loving care. We enter God’s kingdom by acknowledging our daily dependence on him. God’s love is not rude; it moves us to be gentle, kind, and respectful of all people.
Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have been rude to others. Empower me by your love to treat everyone with kindness and respect. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
About the author — Richard E. Williams
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