Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 1-184 (Sermon)

KIDS AND THE KINGDOM

by Rod Benson

I love being a Dad to two small boys. They bring joy, and relieve stress, and convey a unique perspective on our world and our lives. They continually amaze me with their wide-eyed wonder at the big world they are exploring and making sense of; with the unusual things they notice; and by the questions they are asking (although the youngest is too young to speak yet).

At home I get to play with their toys – rather more complex, more expensive and more breakable than the toys I remember from my childhood.

At the beach I get to dig holes and make sandcastles and build roads with no fear that someone I know might see me and consider it strange.

In the car I am constantly made aware of what is important to children. For example, driving past the local petrol station, Michael saw a truck stopped and said, “I think that’s the truck that brings ice creams to the shop.” Or, “Does that motor bike go very fast? Faster than a racing car?”

Michael (aged four) often seems to wake with fully formed thoughts that he needs to communicate. This morning he got out of bed and said to me, “Every day I grow a little bit bigger. You and Mummy don’t grow bigger any more. If you did, you would grow through the ceiling and you would just have to stay outside.”

Then he said, “You and Mummy grow in other ways.” I’m not sure what he meant by this! I simply said, “Yes.”

On the other hand, parenthood is probably the greatest challenge I shall ever face. Parenthood lasts for a couple of decades, then it goes on for the rest of your life. But at the end, in most cases, it leaves you with wisdom, peace and a multitude of memories.

THE BIBLE AND CHILDREN

Being a book about people and families and relationships, the Bible has a lot to say about children. The Old Testament views children as gifts from God, and a source of blessing and joy (Gen 1:27; 12:2; 13:6; 15:5; Ps 127:3-5).

In ancient Israel childlessness was seen as a horrible fate (Gen 30:1-22; 1 Sam 1; Dt 25:5-10; cf Mk 12:19-23). There is a sense in which children, indirectly, are a promise of life after death – through one’s descendants (Gen 48:16; 2 Sam 18:18). Children’s behaviour was unruly, even capricious, and required discipline (e.g. 2 Kg 2:23f; Isa 3:4f; Prov 22:15). Children were taught the Torah (Dt 6:2, 7; cf Prov 1:8; 3:1; 6:20).

Infant Jewish males were circumcised as a sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17:10-14). Children were loved and prized, and made to feel part of the faith community.

The New Testament does not depart from this view of children (except that the circumcision requirement was dropped). The Gospels speak frequently about children. Jesus taught about children. The New Testament letters refer to children (e.g. 1 Cor 7:14; Col 3:20f; Eph 6:1-4; 1 Tim 3:4f, 12; Tit 1:6). Sometimes the teaching is about children as children; at other times the speaker or writer is making a spiritual or ethical point.

I want to share five ways in which Jesus’ teaching about children relates to our place in the kingdom of God – or in the church. Some of these principles are present in more than one passage, but I have sought to reference the most relevant parallel passage. Some of the principles may be challenging or disturbing, but I believe this is what Jesus taught.

GOD’S HEART IS FOR THE UNIMPORTANT

First, God’s heart is for “unimportant” children rather than “important” adults (Mk 10:13-14). Earlier the disciples had disputed among themselves who was the greatest (Mk 9:33f). They obviously had not paid great attention to what Jesus said on that occasion.

Here, they hinder children from encountering Jesus. They turn children away, perhaps harshly and proudly. Jesus is indignant, verging on anger.

“I came to your world for these little children,” I can almost hear him say. “Don’t you remember the Beatitudes I gave you on the mountainside?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Mt 5:3-8).

“Who do you think I was talking about? Herod? Caiaphas? Pilate? Caesar? It is the humble, the powerless, the vulnerable – the unimportant – for whom I came. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (cf Mt 9:13).

GOD’S KINGDOM IS FOR CHILDLIKE PEOPLE

Second, God’s kingdom is for people who express a childlike attitude (Mk 10:15-16). Nowhere in Jewish literature are children portrayed as models for adults. To do so in Greek or Roman literature would apparently have been an insult to adults. Yet Jesus does so.

In what ways do children model how we enter the kingdom (or family) of God? To be right before God, adults should adopt a childlike status (cf Mk 10:17-22), and emulate childlike qualities. A Jewish child was exempt from obedience and obligation to the Law, and depended for salvation solely on God’s mercy.

You don’t have to be childish to be childlike. I am not advocating infantile faith or encouraging baby-Christians. I am suggesting that we all need to learn from observing a child’s simple dependence on God, and a child’s confident, no-questions-asked trust in God. That is what God accepts.

GREATNESS IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS A HUMBLE ATTITUDE

Third, greatness in God’s kingdom is marked by humility (Mt 18:1-5; cf Lk 22:24-27). The disciples ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answers, “Those who are humble like a child” (cf Php 2:3).

Here Jesus targets leaders who may think highly of themselves at the expense of others – especially those of low social or religious status. In verses 6, 10-14 he warns of terrible divine judgment awaiting those who despise children or lead them astray. True greatness, he implies, is found in humble service with the aim of giving glory to God rather than oneself, and helping others rather than oneself.

GREATNESS IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS A SERVING LIFESTYLE

Fourth, greatness in God’s kingdom is marked by welcoming and serving the weak, poor, powerless and vulnerable (Mk 9:33-37). This passage is similar to Mt 18:1-5, except that Mark emphasises the imperative of loving and serving children, whereas Matthew highlights childlikeness as a model of appropriate Christian character.

This is ironic since children usually lacked social status, and childcare was viewed as a low status activity. But Jesus places children at the centre of the Christian community’s attention. He requires all who desire greatness (which in itself is honourable) to serve children.

Further, welcoming children (or the poor, powerless, weak and vulnerable) is a mark of welcoming Jesus himself, and by implication welcoming God (cf Mt 25:31-46).

CHILDREN SEE WHERE ADULTS ARE BLIND

Fifth, God’s kingdom is recognised and welcomed by children (Mt 21:14-16). Here is another irony: the chief priests and scribes (the bishops and theologians) fail to identify Jesus from the crowd, but children (who were seen as ignorant, untrained infants) do recognise him!

Not only do children recognise Jesus – they praise him (cf Mt 11:25; Lk 10:21)! There are lessons in this story for every adult.

The Bible teaches us how to make an adult world more just and enjoyable for children. It teaches us how to raise children in a Christian way in an adult world.

But the New Testament teaches more: the kingdom of God is a children’s world where the small are great and the great must become small again. It is not a matter of learning enough information, or doing enough good works, or enduring enough hardship. As I say to people who ask if an infant who dies will go to hell, “It is not how well I know Jesus but how well he knows me.”

Jesus himself became a little child in order to inaugurate the kingdom of God, and to redeem us. We are, literally and metaphorically, children of God (cf Jn 1:12-13; Gal 4:1-7; 1 Jn 3:1-2, 10; 5:19; Rom 8:14-17, 29).

As adults we are called to shape our children, but let us also be shaped by children. Here is one example of someone willing to please God in childlike trust – who in doing so saved a life and led someone to Christ.

OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

Earlier this year a university-educated young Anglican man was shopping for groceries in North Sydney. As he left the shop he felt an overwhelming sense of God’s presence, and heard God say, “Do a handstand over beside the community noticeboard.”

He thought about this, and said, “Yes, Lord,” dropped his groceries and did it. Immediately another man came out of the shop, and said to him,

“I was walking down the aisle, and I had just decided to go home and get my gun and shoot myself. I just prayed, ‘God, if there is a God, let someone be doing a handstand outside the shop as I come out.’ And there was.”

The young man saved his life, and later led him to accept Christ. Would you have possessed the faith to say “Yes, Lord” in a similar situation?

What would have happened if God had trusted you to do something embarrassing, costly or childlike in order to save a human life and change an eternal destiny? Let us be shaped by children, by childlike faith and by childlike innocence and enthusiasm.

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E055 Copyright (c) 2001 Rod Benson. Reproduction in any form is permitted only with full copyright notice intact. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1980).

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