Becoming Like Children
This passage is one of those paradoxes of greatness.
And we talked about in the, in the Book of Matthew, several of the paradoxes of the Gospel. Jesus says earlier, whoever would save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life, for my sake and the gospel will find it. And so Jesus gives a different definition of greatness than we might give. If you've heard the name Joshua Bell he is a world famous violinist violinist virtuoso. He was a prodigy and there's a famous YouTube video where he goes into a metro station in Washington, DC and begins playing this wonderful classical music on this meal. I would assume a million-dollar violin and and people are just coming through the metro station, you know, passing him not really paying any attention and then about after a minute and a half one lady stops and says I saw you perform at the Library of Congress. And and he was. So he's a person who has achieved greatness in a worldly sense, but greatness is not always recognized. He debuted at age 14 with the, I believe the film Philadelphia Symphony. Orchestra, he has hundreds of recordings of classical music. He excelled as a boy, also on in chess, and on computers and at his hometown in Bloomington Indiana, he was approached by a 12 year old boy. And he said, hey your Joshua Bell, your famous, you are really famous and build replied. Well, not really, not really, and the boy piped up. Yes. Yes, you are really famous. Your name is on every video game down at the arcade as the highest scorer.
So what the world calls great or what? One person calls great may not be considered greatness to some But the truth is that all of us desire to be great. All of us, desire to be significant in some way or recognized for a talent or to have an achievement that we can attribute to ourselves. I mean, why would our culture have, you know, Meme after meme of the goat, the greatest of all time, you know, everybody has an internal desired, I think to be great.
And Jesus disciples were obviously arguing over. Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? In The Book of Mark, it gives a little more detail in it, and it says that Jesus knowing their thoughts, knowing that they were arguing about this, ask them. Now, they could have been concerned on a human level, right? For who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, because Jesus had just told them that he was going to go to Jerusalem and suffer and die and be killed and raised again on the third day. And again, they're making their way down from the Sea of Galilee and the north capernium to Jerusalem. So they may have been concerned about Jesus departure on a human level because he had said that he was going to go to Jerusalem and be killed and they may have been considerable. Who's going to who's going to step up and in your place? But it's more likely that they were asking about status. They were asking about ranking within the kingdom of God. And now, chapter 18, as I mentioned, is the fourth major discourse in the Book of Matthew. And so, in the Book of Matthew, there's five major teaching sections and this is where another parallel between Jesus. And Moses is, Moses, had the first five books of the Bible Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy in. So, in the Book of Matthew, as a kind of parallel Scholars of notice, there's a thematic parallel of these five, major teaching section. So Matthew Chapter 5 through 7, The Sermon on the Mount. And probably Jesus, most famous portion of teaching, Matthew chapter 10, where he sends his disciples out on Mission and he says, no take no money with you take, don't take an extra tunic. Don't collect copper or silver for your belts. But but stay in the house with that welcomes. You and so he sends them out on Mission. And gives that gives us an explanation of what they are to do and how they are to be prepared. Matthew Chapter 13 then is his Parables on the kingdom. And the parable of the mustard seed or the parable of the pearl of great price. And so Matthew 18, then at chapter 18 to 19, is his teaching on the church and then Matthew 23 through 25 deals with the end times and, and the future. And, and that's called the Olivet discourse.
So chapter 18 is really about how Believers are to relate to one another. And it's about more than just children. The theme of this chapter is really the theme of the church. Howard. The disciples to deal with sin where he says if and if your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the Eternal fire. He says, it's better to deal with sin radically now. And to enter into eternal life saying no to things rather than end up. Having the things that you want or desire and ending up in Eternal fire. So, it's about more than just, just Children of the second half of the chapter, then talks about pursuing reconciliation with other believers. And then the, the last part of the chapter deals with forgiveness, enter chapter 18 is really about church. And we realize in the reality of our own sinfulness, don't we that serving God and serving others takes effort? Serving God and serving others takes effort. That is we have to intentionally decide bajor will through the power of the Holy Spirit to serve God and to serve others. That is we don't like to serve and then not be recognized. A significant. But yet Jesus is the suffering servant to the scripture says 1 translation. Says, he made himself of no reputation, he emptied himself taking the nature of a servant Philippians chapter 2. And he told his disciples previously, two times, I am going to go to Jerusalem. I'm going to be betrayed handed over to the chief Elders. I'm going to be treat mistreated. I'm going to be killed and I'm going to rise again. So he's telling his disciples, this is my mission. One scholar Stanley hauerwas, who is a longtime professor at Duke Duke University? He wrote this about this passage in Matthew chapter 18, After the Transfiguration, Jesus and James, John, and Peter on the mountain, top with Moses and Elijah after the Transfiguration of Jesus. And before his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus instructs his disciples in a manner so that they can begin to understand the kind of people, they must be in light of his crucifixion and his resurrection. That's that's for us to Jesus wants us to understand what kind of people we are to be in light of his crucifixion and his resurrection. How am I living in light of Jesus, in light of his crucifixion, and Resurrection. How am I altering? The priorities of my life in light of Jesus crucifixion and his resurrection in light of the fact that Jesus is coming back soon and it will be in a Flash. We won't be expecting it necessarily that he will return and He will draw all that. He will draw, all the call all people to account. How am I living in light of his crucifixion and his resurrection? So, here's some examples of our dislike of serving conserving, doesn't necessarily come naturally. It's it's, I think it's are sinful desire to want to be more important than we actually are. So husband comes home from work and and the wife ass honey. Could you set the table for me? Or could you unload? The dishwasher? Oh, and the garage door, opener is on the fritz. Again, can you fix it?
Do we naturally say, I love to do that? You know, there's a book on marriage. I think the author was Gary, Gary Thomas, I think and he said he said I'm a counselor and an author and pastor and I have yet to meet a man who says to me, the big thing that I'm looking forward to most when I come home from work, as a good 45-minute conversation with my wife
That's a problem because we don't want to serve, we don't want to give ourselves. We we we we expect to be served or the kids reaction before you go outside. Please help your sister make her bed. No. But I already made my bed. Why do I have to help her? I want to go outside.
Or if you're a single person, you have a, you have an extra vehicle or you have a truck or you have something that other people asked for and you think yourself will, you know, it would be nice if the people who want to borrow my things would offer to help me once in awhile, you know? I mean, you get a pickup truck and then you realize, oh, now people know, I have a pickup truck in the last to borrow it or asked me to go pick up something for them.
We all have a tendency to resist serving because we we either don't want to give of ourselves or will serve as long as we get recognition as long as it, fits our schedule. When I have ulcer, when I have the time. Well, if every part of the body of Christ is necessary and Paul uses the analogy of the human body as the body of Christ, your liver doesn't wake up in the morning and say, oh oh, I wonder if I feel like functioning today to help the body. Your liver. Just does what your liver does. so there's a sense of necessary Ness in in in the fact that we are to serve the Lord, but we simply resist that Well, here's the main true that Jesus wants us to understand. From this passage that I think is he's putting his finger on hear. God's kingdom, does not put individuals into a ranking system. Who's the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples want to know. Now, maybe they were just asking for curiosity, but then later. I'm sorry. James and John's mother comes to Jesus. And says, I have something I want to ask of you. And she says, let one of my sons be at your right and wanted your left in your kingdom. God's kingdom does not put individuals into a ranking system to be great in Jesus Kingdom. You need to learn how to be in significant. The humble yourself like a child. Notice the two statements that are really parallel unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven and then the second statement is similar to it. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, we have to be careful here because we read these phrases like a little child. And we read back sometimes into the Bible, modern sentiments about children. For example, we should not read modern sentiments back into Jesus words such as o'children. Infants are so innocent. They're so pure, they're so unspoiled. Yes, we need to return to that. Childlike innocence in order to embrace Jesus, Well, last time I checked, it doesn't take long for children to be known as sinful. Because the sin nature comes out very early on. Even before a couple years old they will openly defy. You know. Mine this is my. No I don't want this, I can remember once we were somewhere with our kids and and they wanted one of them wanted to stay longer at the place where we were, and we said, no, no, we're leaving. We're going home now. It's time for your bedtime and I was carrying one of the kids on my shoulders as we were leaving. And as I'm carrying around my shoulders and she didn't want to leave, she starts banging me on the head with her hand. And I got really upset. I got really upset.
But we don't, we don't, we shouldn't read modern sentiments back into Jesus words. Jesus is not also not commending, simpleness of mind or uneducated Faith. He tells his disciples in chapter 10, I am sending you out be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. So they are to assume the best of others, but they are also to be aware of the evil that they may encounter.
So don't read modern sentiments back into Jesus words. But then, what is he commending about the child? What does he come in? And it's if possible if he's in capernium and he's at Peters Peters house, it's possible that could have been one of one of Peter's children or one of his relatives. What is he commending? He is, commanding the fact that the child has no social status and a child is completely dependent. That's what he's commending.
Remember in the Roman Empire? At that time infanticide was often. Practiced children were regarded. As disposable children weren't valued until they could grow up to be old enough to actually produce something. If you were a landowner and you had land, you wanted to have as many sons as possible, so that you could pass on your land to your children. So what is Jesus command? He is, commanding the fact that the child has no significant status and is completely dependent. And so he is saying that to enter the kingdom. You need to give up any attitude or thinking that you should be in the Kingdom. Where did you have a ranking in the Kingdom?
Jesus is telling us to give up a ranking ourselves compared to others. Why? Because that kind of attitude, prevents a person from entering the kingdom, none of us deserve salvation. It is all a Grace. It is all by Grace. It is all unmerited favor.
That kind of attitude when we compare ourselves manufacturers Idols in our hearts and is prevalent in the church. Why? Because the church functions at this in this country we function in American society and so even in Christian music you have a Ward's. These are the best musicians of the year of the best songwriters of the year, the devil Wards or in Christian books, you have major Publishers who issued their book of the year or list of top books of the year.
At Pastor conventions, you have these kind of conversations high on Pastor. So until how many people are in your church? How long have you been ministering there? What kind of programs do you have there? Have you read this book? Have you done this strategy? Have you had these Visions seminars? I mean, it, it's inherently competitive. Why? Because we're sinful human beings.
Jesus is telling us to give up ranking ourselves compared to others within the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God does not put individuals into a ranking system. There's two other instances where Jesus points out the humility needed. A one is Luke chapter 10. The 72 return from the mission, that Jesus sends them out on. And they, they return and they are lit up. They're excited. There they are. Stoked. Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. Look at the power. We have even the demons are subject to us in your name. And what does he say to them? And Luke chapter 10 behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but Rejoice, that your names are written in heaven. What are the only instances? I think. Where the scripture say do not rejoice. Don't don't Rejoice for this reason. But Rejoice only because your names are written in heaven. Our joy is not based on our Effectiveness in Mission Christ Mission. Our joy is not based on the results in the eyes of others. Our joy is not based on any of our accomplishments, or even our success in fighting evil. Our joy brothers and sisters is grounded. And based on the fact that our names are written in heaven, that we have been loved. We have been chosen and we have been accepted by the one true God. Amen. That is the basis of our joy that at your right hand Lord are Pleasures, forevermore.
So when you rejoice in God, this week, will it be because of the results that he gives? Will it be because of how he has used you to help others? it's a wonderful thing to be used by God to serve others to help others but sometimes we we we do that and we recognize that God is using us and we go
Or will it be simply? Because your name is in the Book of Life.
The second example where Jesus teaches about the same kind of humility is in the Beatitudes. Matthew chapter 5, Reads. This blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now, that's always been a little bit of a confusing phrase to me because Well, we want to have faith. We want to have great faith. We want to have strong faith. So, what is this poor in spirit idea?
It is the heart knowledge of your absolute complete total and ongoing need for God.
no matter how old you are, no matter how young you are, you will need God, every single hour of every single day,
You know, sometimes I think that a day has gone really well. And I think Lourdes this day has gone exactly as I planned it.
That's not an attitude of dependence upon God, and it's not even really a good attitude of thankfulness. I need to I need to spend a few more seconds and say, Lord thank you. I was hoping this would happen today and thank you that that happened today or they're that that I was able to do this or that. As James says, in the Book of James as the Lord Wills, you know, you make plans you presume upon God, you say will will go here to this city and we'll do business and then we'll go here and we'll do this and then we'll do that. He says know that, that kind of boasting is against God. Being poor in spirit means knowing your absolute complete total and ongoing need for God, knowing that you are completely dependent on God's mercy all the time. Now that's not to say that we should have this, this attitude of self-pity or or oh, I'm a horrible person because I need God all the time. No, it's his grace. It's his grace that holds us up. Amen. There's nothing wrong with weakness, there's nothing wrong with being needy. There's nothing wrong with depending upon God. God, brings trials into our lives, so that we will have more than we can handle. So that we will depend upon him. I think it's a little bit of a false theological statement to say, will God never gives us more than we can handle.
Well, Jonah. Had a little bit more than he can handle. Joseph had a little bit more than he can handle. He says, to the I forget whether it was the baker, or the cub bear is that he says, well when you get to the Kings when you get to Pharaoh you know tell him tell him to remember me. He gets his hopes up and then what, two years later,
He comes out of prison.
God gives us more than we can handle so that we will depend upon him so that we will see our need for him. So I'm 40 verse 17 as for me. I am poor and needy but the Lord takes thought for me, you are my help and my deliverer do not delay. Oh my God. As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer do not delay. Oh my God. That's first. Psalm 40 verse 17. So unless you turned unless you turn, what does that mean? Turn means repentance. Turn means to go back to the other direction to turn away from the elevating self, and elevating your position, or elevating a sense of importance compared to others. Turn away from that and turn towards God. Again, repentance is not groveling. Repentance is not rehearsing our sins over and over repentance is a Grace given by God where we turn away from what is evil. And we turn back to God and we Embrace his grace and his mercy and we say, yes Lord, thank you for forgiving me. I realize now that that I am without hope, if I don't have you, I don't have any hope and you were the one who forgives me. As Peter says, it's a Jesus in John, chapter 6, the end of John chapter 6, Lord you have the words of eternal life, where else would we go?
It's a, we repent and we turned to God and we say Jesus, you are everything to me. And I admit I confess that I put too much focus on my status or comparing myself to others.
Now he gives us hard words and verses 5 and 6, then. Which contain both a promise and a warning.
And so verse 5 & 6, I'll read them before we go to the to the point whoever receives one. Such child in my name receives me but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to send, it would be better for him to have a great Millstone, fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. The word greatmillstone is literally Millstone of a donkey. If you're familiar with an old grinding mill where you have a massive Millstone or grindstone in the middle that's hooked up to a apparatus to where there's that there's some sort of shaft and that's connected to a donkey that harness to a donkey that pulls it around in a circle. And so, the stone rotates in a circle and grind the grain. I've actually been to grindstone Michigan. There is such a place where they used to make rhinestones and the grindstones are about that. About that high in diameter, massive hundreds of pounds.
So the implication is this? How we, as followers of Christ receive other followers of Christ, reflects our own humility towards Jesus and can have grave consequences.
That is a death by Drowning before committing that sin of not welcoming others who come in, the name of Jesus is preferable to eternal hell.
Now notice in the text, he says, one such child, whoever receives one, such child in my name, and I think he's making a transition there. He has a little child in front of them and then he says now whoever receives one such child, he's not referring, just to Children. Only he's saying whoever humbles himself like a little child. The reference in verse for whoever humbles himself like this child. So one such child in verse 5 extends to those who humble themselves like this child in verse for, he's referring to other believers. And end that some consistent with Matthew 11, where he says, you know, God has revealed been pleased to reveal his salvation to little children. Not talkin about only of a certain age, he's talking about those who are humble.
We are not to receive other Christians based on how long they have been Christians, how dramatic their conversion, which Christian books, they have read, or what Ministry, they have served in, we accept other believers because they come in the Name of Christ. Any other basis is preferential treatment. I struggle with this because I see a visitor come to church, one Sunday. And I have this list of questions in my mind. What did you move here recently? What church have you been apart of what? You know, how long have you been a Christian and are you familiar with these books? Or these authors I have all this diagnostic list in my mind that kind of categorizes them. Yeah, we're supposed to be a non-judgmental society, right? We're supposed to be tolerant and yet we have immediate ways of pigeonholing, everyone into slots. I mean, we know that's true. Why would social media explode? You know, Facebook was supposed to be that place where brings people into a community know, it just separate people into micro communities of their own opinions and well these are the people that agree with me and that's great. We are to accept other believers because they come in the Name of Christ. Any other basis is preferential treatment. Now, whoever causes one of these to stumble, how by tempting them, perhaps, by Leading them into a particular sin, perhaps, but I think the emphasis is on receiving them. Because by not receiving them. If Believers of whatever background are unwelcome if they are rejected or they are ignored, then it causes them to stumble in their Walk With Jesus and it exposes the perpetrators rejection of them as a rejection of Jesus. It says in the Book of Mark, whoever welcomes one child in my name. Welcomes me and also him who sent me
We need that humility, don't we? We need that humility to not categorize people. We need that humility to accept others in the Name of Christ and to recognize that God is working on all of us.
I mean, I'm all for doing an assessment of how is our walk with Christ? Are we maturing in these areas? Are we do we need to grow in these areas? I'm all for that. That's all good. If we want to assess our own walk and where we are, But too many times we mentally do that with one another. I mentally do that. With others. And it's not an attitude of humility.
Let me call those with a couple quotes. I did get a commentary by Stanley hauerwas. So that's why you're getting a couple of quotes from from him at the end of the message here. But think about these quotes on humility, which I think emphasizes re-emphasize is Jesus. Words. Humility in the theological sense, not in the psychological sense. Humiliation in the theological stance is the name rightly given to the recognition of our sin. Children because they depend on others for their very existence cannot help but live by humility. The task for Disciples of Jesus is to learn how to break back into the humility from which we began as children of God. And we do that by the Holy Spirit. by asking the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, he goes on Humility. Like all virtues comes as a gift made possible by being part of a community that has quite literally. No, use for pretense, pretense can be defeated, only when a people have such good work to do that, they have no time for the games of status. Will we take our eyes off? Jesus, and off of his mission, we become preoccupied with our status, don't we? Is the person of Christ and the mission of Christ worth so much to you. And to me that we are willing to put aside any games of pretense and comparison and say Lord I want to serve you. I want to honor you today. Lord be glorified today through me at my expense if necessary. Let's pray.
