The Kingdom of Heaven PS 127/Matt 18:1-5,10-14;19:13-15
“KIDS OF THE KINGDOM”
In his book, Heaven Is For Real, Todd Burpo shares of his son, Coltan's experience of heaven after a near death experience in the hospital. Afterwards he was constantly telling his mom and dad: “Jesus REALLY loves kids!” At breakfast, in the car, petting the dog, brushing his teeth: “......!”
At one point his dad responded in exasperation, “Okay, Coltan, we get it! Jesus loves kids!” Our readings might trigger the same response. Seems obvious. “Okay, I get it. Jesus loves kids.”
But do we really get it? What about his saying that “The Kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children?” (Matthew 19:14) Really? He wants me to behave like I did when I was a kid? He wants his kingdom full of people acting like little children? Huh...
That's when these voices that start running through my head: “Daddy, he's on my side! Mommy, he hit me! When are we gonna get there? I don't wanna! Let go! Stop it! Mine – mine – mine!”
Come to think of it, it does kind of remind me of council meetings at my old church in Kansas.
(Joy comes up and sitting in the front row, sets a notebook on the table beside her.)
Seriously though, behaving like I was when I was a kid could be troublesome.
Don: (picking up notebook) What's this? Are these your notes for science class?
Joy: Yes. (Don takes it and runs to sacristy) Hey! Give me back my notes, you little creep!
(unable to open door) Open this door, or your parents will never find your remains!
Don: Oh nice! Some babysitter you turned out to be! Okay. Here go your notes! (Rip!)
Joy: Don, you've got two seconds to unlock this door and give me back my science notes!
Don: Or what? You know, Cheryl, I'd suggest you adopt a more humble attitude.
You wouldn't want anything to happen to these notes, would you?
Joy: (trying door again) You scrawny little troll! When your parents get home, I'll....!
Don: (sound of paper ripping) Well, there goes another page!
Joy: WHAT?! I'm calling your mom! (storming back to seat) That kid's got issues!
Don: (sound of paper ripping) Page three – and counting! (opening door) Is she gone yet?
Now you know what kind of kid I was. I know, right? Some of you are thinking, not much has changed really, has it? Touche'! You can imagine what life is like for poor Claudia!
Clearly Jesus didn't want us act in defiant, selfish, childish ways. There's a clear difference between being childish and being childlike. Four kingdom insights we gain from Jesus' words about children in our readings today. His disciples ask a question about achieving greatness. They want to be seen and acknowledged, so Jesus tells them: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4)
It's a key Kingdom insight. Realign your thinking about what brings greatness. If you follow the world's lead you will get your head and life all out of alignment with what's really great!
The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you'll learn to know God's will for you. Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (Romans 12:2-3)
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Children raised in a loving family exhibit genuine humility. They know they're ultimately not in control. They know that there are others that are smarter and stronger than they. They get that they are reliant on mommy and/or daddy for food and shelter and to be reminded they are loved/cherished.
In his sermon on the mount, Jesus proclaims: “Blessed are those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:3,5; NIV)
Remember that dairy commercial from a few years ago, that asked the pressing question: “Got milk?” Well Jesus is asking an even more pressing question: “Got meek?” The word as it's used here does not mean timid, as we tend to define it, but rather to be humble, self aware. In fact that's how the NLT translates that verse: “God blesses those who are humble, for the world belongs to them!”
(Matthew 5:5; NLT)
Coltan's father, musing on his son's emphatic call for adults to reflect Jesus' love for kids, clarifies the difference between being childish and being childlike, asking a question based on Jesus' teaching: “So what is childlike humility? It's not the lack of intelligence but the lack of guile, the lack of a self-serving agenda. It's that precious, fleeting time before we've accumulated enough pride or position to care what other people think. It's that delight in life that enables a little one to splash joyfully in a rain puddle, or tumble in the grass with a puppy. It's the ability to trust a loving parent, to notice what others do not, to want to sit on daddy or mommy's lap. Jesus clearly viewed children as precious – and if he loved kids enough to say adults should be more like them, we should make them our highest priority and love on them in the same manner that he did.” (Todd Burton)
So first, if we're to be Kingdom players we need to exhibit childlike humility. Got Meek?
Second, help them to belong. Do what you can to put the children in our midst at ease. Jesus tells us: “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” (Matt 18:5)
In his book, Vanishing Grace, Phillip Yancey writes: “I'm convinced that human beings instinctively seek two things. We long for meaning, a sense that our life somehow matters to the world around us. And two, we long for community, that is, a sense of being loved and belonging.”
(Phillip Yancy)
That's not just true for us adults. That's true for kids and youth as well. We can all help with that. Showing an interest in the young people here by asking them questions about themselves, what they're interested in, what they do in their free time, what are their dreams and aspirations?
We have a youngster taking Alpha with us right now. It's been wonderful to see folks engaging him during the meal, listening and affirming him in the small group. I can tell, he's eatin' it up!
We want kids to feel welcome and included. It's why we involve them in worship leadership - be that lighting candles, helping with communion or playing an instrument. It's in obedience to Jesus' command to his disciples, “Let the children come to me! Don't stop them!” that we welcome kids of all ages to receive Communion every Sunday. We want them to feel that they are important and belong here – because they are - and they do! “The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them!” (Matthew 19:14)
So Jesus' Kingdom points include, one, be humble as a child; two, welcome the children; and three, guard their hearts and wellbeing. As Jesus warns: “Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my Father.”
(Matthew 18:10)
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Let's be honest. Children are vulnerable and our world is full of preditors. So part of our responsibility to the children in our community is to do everything we can to insure their safety. That's why we require that all of those who work with kids or youth in our church get a background check.
That's a little uncomfortable. We wish it wasn't necessary but the children's wellbeing is just too important. The information asked for is kept confidential, including all personal information, such as driver's license number and what not. We safeguard everyone involved.
Jesus urges us not to look down on the children in our midst, because after all, Jesus points out, they have powerful angels at work, behind the scenes, safeguarding them. Too often, because of their size, lack of understanding or abilities, kids are viewed as less important. It brings to mind my favorite proverb: “Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverb 4:23)
We partner with the angels above and around us by working together to not only guard our own hearts but those of the youngest among us. It brings to mind a scene in the film, The Help, in which the hired help, a black woman who isbelittled by her boss, comes along the woman's young daughter, who is treated as a nuisance and an embarrassment by her neglegient and dismissive mother, and tells the little girl: “You is good, you is kind, you is important!” (from the film, The Help)
We can be that voice in the ears of the youngsters in our midst. We can help guard their hearts by loving on them, speaking words of affirmation to them, and truly listening to them. Who knows...?
Finally, like Jesus, we seek to bless the children in our midst. “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. 'Let the children come to me,' he said. And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” (Matthew 19:13,15)
I love how the creators of The Chosen series depicted it. Season one, episode one shows Jesus hanging out with a bunch of kids. He tells them stories, he plays with them, he laughes with them and he teaches them things about the Kingdom of Heaven. It remains one of my favorite episodes.
What might that look like for you. Consider the story of a dying soldier on the front lines during World War II. His friend knelt beside him as the dying soldier made a final request of him.
He gave him the name of man in his church who told him things when he was little that were helping him die in peace there on the battlefield. His friend survived the war and when he returned stateside he looked up the man in question and delivered his dying friend's message. The man before him began to weep. He said, “God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I quit teaching Sunday School years ago because I didn't think it was making any difference.”
We need folks willing to invest in our kids, knowing that by spending time with them, playing with them, loving on them, telling them Kingdom stories, you are making an eternal difference! In this way you are doing what Jesus did – by placing (your) hands on their hearts and blessing them. The more of us who help in Sunday School the more joyful it will become for all involved. Pray about it!
Last week I looked out in the congregation and I saw two young women who were former members of our youth group when our kids attended. One of them sent me a Facebook message about a year ago and as I remember that message, and the times we shared, tears of joy filled my eyes.
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This is what she wrote: “Hello Don! I'm reaching out to thank you. You impacted my life so deeply and I couldn't thank God enough to have placed you in my life. I lost touch with my faith for a while there. I felt pretty lost after having gone thru a series of touch life circumstances. I've actually been diving back into my faith again for a year now. Recently, I pulled out the Bible I had from my teenage yeears. What I found were bulletins from every service I attended at your church, pics of old friends from youth group, notes from my Alpha group, and notes I'd written in my Bible from each of your sermons. Your sermons and kindness changed my life in my teens and they are finding me again in my adult years. Thank you. You have changed my life in so many ways and I know that you still do.”
(Josie Story)
“Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones such as these.”
(Matthew 19:14)