Homily, Growing Down: The Little Ones of Christ
The Nineteenth Sunday after the Pentecost, Proper 21B, 2024
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Plant City, FL
The Rev. Derek M Larson, TSSF
Today’s Lectionary Readings:
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Psalm 124
James 5:13-20
Mark 9:38-50
In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Francis stood before Pope Innocent, waiting for his decision about whether he and his friends would be recognized as a religious order. The Pope leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Francis. “Brother Francis,” he said, his voice calm but authoritative, “you come before us with a bold request—to approve the way of life you and your companions wish to follow. Tell me, what shall your order be called?”
Francis looked up at the pope, a gentle smile on his face, but he hesitated. He had never been one for grand titles or lofty names. His mind raced as he sought the right words. He thought of the wealthy merchants of Assisi, men like his father, who pursued greatness through riches and influence. And he thought of the humble poor, the ones often overlooked, who lived simple lives but seemed closest to God.
Then he thought of Jesus’ words, “Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Children—the small, the “lesser” ones, who approached life with trust, innocence, and humility. In their littleness was greatness.
He spoke softly, “Holy Father, we are but little ones in the sight of God.”
The pope raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Little ones?” he repeated.
Francis nodded, gaining confidence. “Yes. We seek to follow Christ by becoming lesser, by humbling ourselves as children do. We are not greater, but lesser than all, servants to others, as Christ Himself was a servant. We should not be called anything lofty, but rather something that reflects our call to humility. We will be called the Friars Minor, the Little Brothers. For in being small, in being little, we may draw closer to our Lord, who made Himself lowly for our sake.”
Today we continue our sermon series on the importance of children in Christian community, a series we’re calling “Growing Down,” each week looking at a passage of Scripture in which Jesus speaks about children. The idea is that so often we desire children to come to church because we want to help them grow up faithfully in the love of God, but in Jesus’ ministry, the primary role of children was not for them to be formed and educated (however important that is) but to be an example to adults of how to grow down.
St. Francis, whose feast day we celebrate this week, is a great example of someone who understood that ideal clearly. While most of us know Francis primarily as the one who holds the birdbath in our gardens, he was so much more than that, and perhaps so much less than that. Because Francis dedicated his whole life to growing down. To being small. To following Christ with a deep sense of trust and humility. So much so that even the name he offers his community of companions is nothing great, but simply “The Little Brothers” or “The Lesser Brothers”—the Friars Minor. Which is a title we see used by Jesus himself in today’s gospel passage.
It’s just a passing mention, and you might even miss it if you’re not listening carefully, especially in today’s passage that has a lot more that we could talk about—gouging out eyes and cutting off limbs. But before all that Jesus calls his followers “little ones.” He says that it would be a grave thing to put a stumbling block in front of these “little ones” who believe in him. The Greek could literally be translated as “children” or “lesser ones”. It is almost the same word that Francis uses for his companions. Scholars have debated about who exactly Jesus is talking about here. Are there children that are standing nearby? Are there new followers of Jesus that are somehow more vulnerable? Who is Jesus talking about? Are we missing something? But I think that in Jesus’ words, he is not referring to someone around him that is younger, be it in age or in faith, but is naming his community with a name that signifies the life to which he is calling them. Last week we read that Jesus centered a child in the midst of his followers to show them what he was calling them to be, and this week we read that Jesus gives them the nickname by which that child would have been known, Little One. In this passing remark, Jesus is calling his disciples to humble themselves like little children.
We live in a world which assumes bigger is better. Turn on the tv. Listen to your coworkers. Notice the things you want. We assume bigger is better. Greater is better. Richer is better. More is better. And we want those things for our children. We want them to have big dreams and we want to help them grow into those dreams. But what do we mean when we say big? Because while Jesus’ dream for humanity might be big, what he means by that is small. He dreams of a world full of people who are humble and trusting, who want too serve one another, who aren’t concerned about status or authority, who simply desire to love and to be loved. Jesus doesn’t want us to be too big for our britches. Jesus dreams of a world where we are all simply “little ones.”
What would it be like if we at St. Peter’s, like Jesus and Francis, named ourselves after the children who are among us? What if we looked down to them as an example for ourselves of what it means to follow Jesus in a spirit of humility and trust and innocence?
As Francis left the basilica with his companions after speaking to the Holy Father, he glanced at the children playing in the streets, laughing and chasing one another with joyful abandon. He smiled, knowing that in their smallness, in their simple joy, they reflected the very kingdom of heaven. And he whispered to himself, “We, too, shall be as little children… Friars Minor.”
May it be so of us at St. Peter’s, and may it be so of all who seek to follow Jesus as his “little ones.” Amen.
Questions for Deeper Reflection
- How can I embrace a childlike faith characterized by trust, innocence, and a willingness to learn from others, especially from the children around me?
- What words would I use to describe young children in my life? Could I use those words to describe myself?
- How do I perceive the role of children in our faith community, and how can I incorporate their perspective to deepen my own spiritual journey?
- In what ways can I support the children in my life to grow in faith while also allowing their example to challenge and inspire my own growth as a “little one” in Christ?
Resources for Further Reflection
Comic Book: Francis: Brother of the Universe
In this genuine Marvel comic book from 1982 you can find the story of St. Francis, including his encounter with the Pope asking for recognition by the church to be a holy order. It’s a classic and a fun (and childlike) way to engage the story of Francis, even though there are many well-done biographies about him as well (in fact I have a sizable Franciscan section in my office if you’d like to borrow anything).
Religious Order: Third Order, Society of St. Francis
I belong to a religious order called the Society of St. Francis. The friars are those in the first order. The cloistered nuns are those in the second order. I belong to the third order, a dispersed Anglican order for lay people and clergy, married people and single, men, women, and all people who would like to follow Christ in a deeper way through the Franciscan path. It has been a wonderful experience that I highly recommend to anyone interested in Franciscan spirituality who wants to deepen their faith.
Children’s Book: God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
In the homily I speak about Jesus’ big dream, which is actually a small dream. In saying that, I am using the language of a beautiful children’s book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called God’s Dream. I highly recommend it!
Thoughts on Faith 