Learning to love others more than ourselves
Matthew 18:1-5, 10
The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the
greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their
midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this
child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child
such as this in my name receives me.“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I
say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly
Father.”
Who am I
holding my arms this morning? It’s a
little baby named “Valentina” (she’s not so little!). Everyone loves babies. Raise your hand if you love babies. Good!
How do you show your love for a baby?
We hug them, we kiss them, we squeeze them, we make sure they don’t cry
– except in church, where all babies cry!
As babies grow up with all this love, they believe they are the center
of the universe, they are “rockstars” whom everyone loves as soon as they walk
into a room. Everyone starts to “Oh!”
and “Ah!” when they see them.
Now, it’s
good for people to love us, but should we always believe others should take
care of us and be at our beck and call, to make sure we don’t cry? No. As
we grow up, we learn there are other people in the world, and we should take
care of them, and make sure they don’t cry!
Do you know when many people finally learn that lesson? When they have babies of their own. That’s when some people finally grow up and
love someone else more than they love themselves. In fact, a good mother or father would gladly
give their life for their baby; they would die so their baby could live. They
realize that someone else is the rockstar, not me, and that’s a good thing.
Did you
know that the angels had to learn this lesson, too? God made the angels first and He loved them
very much, like we love babies. Angels
believed they were the center of the universe, they were rockstars. But God wanted the angels to grow up and love
others more than they loved themselves, and so God created Adam and Eve. Some of the angels did grew up; these good
angels love human beings, and care for us, and make sure we don’t cry. But other angels did NOT love people, and
that’s where the “fallen angels” come from.
They are the original "bullies," who pick on those who are
smaller and weaker than themselves. The
fallen angels still want to be the rockstars of the universe. Jesus is talking about these good angels when
he says in the gospel: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my
heavenly Father.” These good angels take
care of us like we’re the rockstars; they love us more than they love
themselves.
Today we
will bless the “Guardian Angels” in our school.
Older students will guide and protect the younger students, like good
angels. Do you know what the Guardian
Angel program is trying to teach you? It
is trying to teach you two things: 1) stop thinking you are the center of the
universe, and that everyone should always take care of you; and 2) start trying
to love someone else more than you love yourself. You will have to learn this lesson again and
again in your life. You better start
figuring it out now!
Today, as
we look at this chubby baby, Valentina, it’s very easy for us to love her, and
we do. I hope someday, she will love
someone else more than she loves herself; that she, too, will be a good angel.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
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