The spontaneity of children

Saturday 12 June 2021

The spontaneity of children

But the chief priests and the legal scholars were outraged at the wonderful things he had done and the children crying in the temple : Hosanna to the Son of David ! They said to him : Do you hear what they say ? Yes, Jesus answered them. Have you never read these words : You have drawn praise out of the mouths of children and infants ? Matthew 21:15, 16

Jesus has just arrived in Jerusalem for his last week on earth. It is the great Passover meeting and the crowds converge on Jerusalem. It is in such a context that Jesus enters the city. Its rise in the capital is triumphant. The crowds, with the children, cheer him : Hosanna to the Son of David ! (Matthew 21: 9).

Like any pious Jew, he goes to the temple, but must clean it up : My temple will be called a house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13).

We can easily imagine this meeting of Jesus with the leaders of the people who are preparing the great feast in order to respect the forms of worship. We understand their astonishment and annoyance at this disturbing character. His remarks shed light on condemnable behavior and trafficking in the vicinity of the temple. Indeed, merchants charge dearly for animals to be sacrificed. Others change the currencies of worshipers who have to pay temple tax. All this causes real trafficking that Jesus violently denounces. The chief priests and scribes are witnesses of the miracles which the Lord performs even in the court of the temple. Despite this, they willfully refuse to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

In contrast, the little children, in their simplicity and spontaneity, cry out in honor of the Son of David. The religious leaders, proud of their importance, should have praised Christ. But these are children, devoid of all evil thoughts and hatred, who render praise to the Lord. He himself stands up for them and, through the Scriptures, shows these proud people that the praise of these little ones is inspired by God. He thus receives from the weakest the homage that scholars should have paid him. What a lesson for them !

How pleasing to God is the song of children, even if they are sometimes "out of the ordinary" !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)