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July 15, 2020 Good afternoon, " And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. " Matthew 18:3 I was a student minister at my home church, Bethany Mennonite, in the summer of 1982 ( I was 23 years old ) . Shirley and I were married that summer. I was at the church for three months. One of the three sermons I preached that summer was about children entering the kingdom of God. I do not remember anything I said. But, I do remember what the responses were to my sermon. Most people said in the most kind way , " just wait till you have children, then you will see it differently. " For those of you who have had children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews what do you think Jesus means by saying, " … we must become like little children " . What do children see or do, that will allow them to enter the Kingdom of God ? I wonder what I said that made the people tell me, that you will learn as you get older. Children had few rights in Palestinian society. The disciples thought the children should not speak to Jesus, and Jesus should not take time to visit with them. Adults, and only male adults, had full rights in the Greek culture of Jesus' time. So, Jesus was being a left-wing radical by saying the children saw some things that made them extra special in the eyes of God. Or, maybe he was a hard-line conservative bringing the community back to the original intention of God's creation. What do you think ? Please ask your younger children or your younger nieces and nephews about what Jesus says in the passage. After almost 40 years since I preached that sermon, I still do not have answers to Jesus' statements. Do children have more trust than older people. Do children have more innocence than older persons ? Do children ask better questions than me ? Do they have more faith, and what does "more faith" mean ? Never a dull moment with the Bible. Salaam in our journey of faith and life. Prayer May I return to the faith as a seven year old ? Or maybe nine is a better age ? To have more of what exactly, O God. I cannot go back to an earlier time, to have more trust/faith/belief, in You. Though, maybe, it would be possible to see the world of your creation Through the eyes of a child. If faith as a child is what I need, Bring it on as great rays of sunshine. Amen. Fred Pastor, Poole Menoonite Church |
Ponder Anew 