Good Morning Friends,
Growing up, the one thing I did not want to happen was to get lost. Bad things happened when people got lost, so I was not one to stray too far from the flock. I was never too rebellious, only enough to gain some independent thoughts. Having great parents helped, but today looking at the scripture of the day, I am thinking that the way I learned as a youth needs to mature in some ways but not in all, especially when it comes to the issue of trust in God. Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. And yet we are to feed on Scripture to be nurtured into maturity though love. So, Do We Have The Faith To Learn Humbly Like A Child?
Scripture: But you, mortal, hear what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a written scroll was in it. He spread it before me; it had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe. He said to me, O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. He said to me: Mortal, go to the house of Israel and speak my very words to them.
Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 (NRSV)
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
Matthew 6:31 (NRSV)
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 (NRSV)
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 11:6 (NRSV)
Message: It is humility that brings honor and growth to God’s people. It is not money or success or even fame that makes the greatest difference, it is the humbleness of love combined with faith. Like God searching for a lost sheep it is servant and childlike leadership. A person, who humbles himself like a little child, even though that may cause others to ignore him, will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of generosity. But like a child, we are to be generous of our time more than just money when it comes to a great relationship with God. Ezekiel who was great in his own way was instructed to humbly submit eat the very words of God so that he might share them. So too Jesus, the Shepherd, leads us to green pastures if we are humble enough to follow and be fed. You see, we are to go before God as a child, stripped of our sins and doubts, full of wide-eyed inspiration that comes from total faith. Friends, without faith we cannot please God. We are to have a childlike faith combined with a maturing love to become to experience God. What Jesus is telling us is that we are all children of God and that God will provide for us if we humble ourselves. That is why Jesus tells us that we must change our way of thinking to be fit for heaven. We need be reformed of our pride and ambition and instead desire the Milk and Honey of scripture. We need to receive the gift as a child. Then we can mature. Of course, children are easily fooled and led astray. But that is not what is meant by having a childlike faith. In their naivete children tend to miss the truth and be drawn to myths and fantasies. Maybe that is why Jesus tells the story about going after the lost sheep. I link the story of the lost sheep of the house of Israel for they had lost purpose under Roman rule. The hope of finding the lost sheep is to reboot them so they can get back on the job of spreading the gospel to all nations and not just among themselves. That indeed would bring rejoicing in heaven. So, Jesus promoted a humble, honest faith in God, and He used the innocence of a child as an example not just for the disciples to open their eyes but ours as well. Emulating the faith of children, we should simply take God at His Word. As children trust their earthly fathers, we should trust that our heavenly Father to give good gifts to those who ask in faith. We are to trust in the promises of God.
And So, scripture does not tell us to have a childlike faith in so many words, but the Bible does tell us to take and eat this Book, the Word made Flesh, as a child would eat a meal provided by a loving parent. The essence of the message is one about the gift of faith being essential in how we are to live. Faith is not something we come up with on our own. Sure, we have social emotional learning but there is more. And in the context of a debate about who is greatest among the disciples Jesus points to the faith of a child as the essential element of greatness in the Kingdom of God. Friends, we are to be born again but not in a way that diminishes us. Jesus exhorts the disciples, and us too, to seek to possess a childlike modesty. Those who willingly take the lowest position are the great in heaven’s eyes. A young child is without concern for ambition, pride, and haughtiness and is therefore a good example for us. Children are characteristically humble and teachable. They are not prone to pride or hypocrisy. Humility is a virtue rewarded by God for if we are humble before the Lord. Friends, we are to receive faith with the openness, honesty, and unbridled joy of a child of God.
Pray we are not rebellious against God. Pray we do not worry. Pray we realize that the faith of Christ is a shield of protection against evil. Pray therefor we reflect a happy authenticity as the hallmark of the new life we receive the gift of Christ’s faith. Pray we realize that the way up is sometimes the way down. Pray we realize that meekness is required. Pray we never stop learning. Pray
when it comes to our relationship with God that
we are innocent like a child. Pray we are trusting like a child. Pray we believe without complication. Pray we receive with joy. Pray we forget about ourselves and live life with a light-hearted abandonment. Pray we are humble. Pray we are content in the little things. Pray we have faith to move our emotional mountains into our emotional valleys. Pray we are awed by majestic splendor of life and of God. Pray we not become cynical with age. Pray we take to heart God’s Word in all its simplicity. Pray we have faith but also love received and shared. Pray we believe God will take care of us. Pray we realize that Christ is the greatest in the Kingdom.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 