Becoming Like a Child: God Judges the Heart

        ( Based on I Samuel 16:1-13 & Matthew 18:1-6, 10-11)  

   Today we kick off a month long look at what has become one of my favorite chapters in all of scripture – Matthew 18. I think there is not only plenty of great stuff in this single chapter for a month worth of sermons, but plenty for a church like ours to chew on and work on for a long, long time. I’m very excited and hope you are too.

            We all know and remember that when Jesus was asked by his disciples who would be the greatest in the Kingdom or reign of God, he took a little child and said to all the adults around him, “Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” Such a powerful moment! Such a profound challenge! We all know it is important, but we don’t know exactly what to do about it. We probably all feel a little like that old Pharisee Nicodemus. He’s the one that when Jesus said, “You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, replied, “What am I supposed to do? Crawl back inside my mother’s womb?” I might say, “Jesus! I’m 54 years old! I’ve got bad hips; I’m bald; I wear trifocals, and can barely bend over half the time! How am I supposed to become like a child?” But I am! And so are yoy! And some of you are a lot older than I, so we had better figure this out together!

            Writer Amy Johnson gets us started in her piece entitled “30 Simple Things to Make You Feel like a Child again.” She notes that, “Being an adult means life is filled with commitments and responsibilities, and these demands can often leave us feeling stressed out. Instead of living in the moment, adults find themselves thinking mostly about the future and the past. While children, on the other hand, see the world through curious eyes and find inspiration in everything. Instead of worrying about careers and bills,” Johnson writes, “children spend every day living in the moment, seeking out happiness and joy.

            She’s right! I’ve seen just how right she is in the 8 years I’ve had so far with my one and only daughter, Eloise. Eloise is so present in the moment. We’ll be taking a walk in a woods, and my mind will be running all over the place – next week’s sermon, the paint I need to get for the next day’s job site – and suddenly she’ll whisper, “Dad! Look! There’s a bunny over there.” She’ll point and I won’t see a thing. But with her guidance, soon I’ll see it – something beautiful and amazing that I would have totally missed otherwise, if I were on my own.

            Eloise has given me some incredible gifts in her 8 years of life, but one of the very best is the way she pulls me into the present moment, when my mind tends to keep me regretting the past or worrying about the future. I happen to believe that that is one of the exact things Jesus had in mind, when he said we have to become like children to enter the kingdom. We have to get out of our ever-churning minds so we can notice the myriad gifts that are right in front of our noses!

            Amy Johnson addresses this with concrete suggestions in that article I quoted a moment ago. Let me read you a couple of the items on her list of 30 things we all should do to become more childlike. Notice how they all have to do with complete presence in and openness to the moment – the now:

            Be impulsive. You want that ice cream? Buy it and enjoy it.

         Show physical affection to the people you love — the best way to                             show someone that you love them is to give them a big hug.

         Sing whenever you want to — burst into song on the streets if                                     that’s what you feel like doing.

            Instead of avoiding puddles, splash through them.

         Don’t worry about getting dirty. Instead, focus on all of the fun you                              are having

         And here’s my favorite: Live in awe of all of the things in the world                             that amaze you.

There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind, folks, the one place Jesus wants all of us to be, no matter how old we get, is in this moment – right here, right now. Cause if we’re not there, we’ll miss the kingdom of God, even if it’s staring us straight in the face.                                                                                       

         I think we get some further assistance figuring out what Jesus meant about becoming like a child from social psychologist Steve Bloom. He has focused his research on the way children think. He’s interested in learning more about how children think and then getting adults to think like that! He writes:

“In some ways, our society seems dedicated to eliminating childhood. We often tell kids to stop acting like a child and grow up. Even the word “childish” has a negative tone to it.” He goes on. “At some point in all our lives, we stop being kids and start being adults. Eventually we all put down our toys and stop playing so we can take on bigger responsibilities. But as we grow up, we might be letting go of a little more than we should. Kids see the world in ways that we lose as an adult. When you’re young, you use your mind in creative, imaginative ways, ways that can really help you throughout your entire life, not just childhood. The good news,” Bloom continues, “is that childlike imagination and creativity still rests inside you – no matter how old you happen to be. Simply thinking back to when you were a kid will bring you into that mindset again.”He then goes onto point out five things kids all do when they think that we adults need to recapture. Ready? Here they are: 

 1) use imagination and play to boost ourcreativity                                                        2) open up to more possibilities – don’t limit our options so quickly                               3) don’t take life so seriously                                                                                            4) seek more playful interaction with those you live and work with, and                        5) reduce your inhibitions – we worry too much what others might think of us! Stop it! 

         I believe that Jesus wants us to think more like children think, and as Bloom said, we all still have these five thinking capabilities within us! We just need to use them again! Bloom cites all sorts of university level studies where groups of adults were divided in half. Both groups were given the same problem or question to solve. But one group was challenged to think like 7 year olds, while the other group wasn’t. Care to guess which group consistently came up with better, more creative solutions? Yep, the group that endeavored to think like 7 year olds. As we get older, Bloom claims, “we start to narrow our thinking as a result of entering the so-called ‘real world.”’ We don’t flex our imagination muscles as much as we once did. And like every thing else, if we don’t use it…we lose it!                                                      

       There are all kinds of great reasons for us to become more childlike – to be more present in the here and now, and to free our thinking from all of our habituated adult restraints. But the best reason of all to become more childlike might be found in that story from I Samuel 16. Israel was ready for a new king. Saul had proven to be a big disappointment, so the people turned to the priests and prophets to go through the established protocol of anointing a new one. God sent Samuel to a man named Jesse who had 7 sons. Jesse paraded each of his first six sons before Samuel, starting with the oldest one, Eliab. Eliab was huge, handsome, athletic. Samuel assumed this was the one God had in mind, but no! Then came the next oldest, Abinadab, another strapping stallion of a son, a real warrior. But, again, God told Sam to wave that one off too. This process repeated itself – five more times – as Jesse brought his sons out from the oldest down to the second youngest. And after the seventh son passed by Samuel, Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” I can’t imagine that old Jesse was too pleased with how this king contest was going. To have all of his 7 sons rejected, especially when they were all big and strong and handsome, genuine warriors! So then Jesse says, “Well, there is still the youngest, but…you’re not going to want him. He’s the runt, and he’s out tending sheep, which is about all he’s good for at his age. “Send for him,” Samuel commands.                                                                                                          

       The Lord had whispered to Samuel early on in this parade of Jesse’s sons. The Lord said, When you’re looking for a king, do not consider his appearance or his height, for the Lord does not look at the things you humans look at. Humans look at the outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart.” So in comes David, small, pock-faced, and covered with sheep turds. And God says, “This is the one, Samuel. This is my choice. Annoint him.”        God judges the heart, folks. God judges the heart. And kids have great hearts; they’re open, they’re not jaded, they’re trusting, they’re not prejudiced. They’re willing to believe and to have faith and to try new things. But sometimes, as we grow older, as we live through some disappointment, some loss, some nastiness at the hands of others, our hearts sour and shrivel up. Jesus warned us about this in Matthew 24:12. It’s on the cover of your bulletin. He told his disciples before he left them that they were going to go through a bunch of really hard stuff in their lives. And he said, “As the wickedness in the world is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold.” But Jesus went on in verse 13 to say, “But the one who keeps loving, who keeps a loving, open, child-like heart, will be saved.”                                            

       That’s our job, folks. That’s our mission. That’s what is supposed to make us different out there in the world. We, who dare to follow Jesus, are supposed to maintain our child-like hearts. Even as wickedness is multiplied; even as people continue to do horrible things to other people; even as terrorists wander and roam the earth; even when it looks as though the world is going to hell in a hand basket; we’re supposed to be the ones who maintain our loving, trusting, and open hearts.                                                                                       

        Can you do it? Can you get back in touch with that child deep inside you? Can you recapture that childlike mind, that incredible imagination? Can you learn how to come back into this moment, the holy here and now? I hope so, for Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like a little child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Amen.                

Remember! A Memorial Day Reflection by Toby Jones 5/29/16

                         (Based on Deuteronomy 8:1-18 and John 14:23-26)

            When I was in seminary at Princeton, I chose to concentrate my studies on the Old Testament, because I already knew the New Testament pretty well and knew next to nothing about the old one. In my study of ancient Hebrew and of the ancient Jewish people, I discovered pretty early on that the single most important word in the Hebrew scriptures is the word “remember.” The Hebrew word is actually “zakar."

            The people of God – the Hebrews - are reminded over and over again - particularly by Moses but by others as well – to remember. Remember what, you may ask? Remember God’s presence, action, and loving intervention throughout their journey with Yahweh. Did you know that every single Jewish holiday, from Passover to Hanukkah, and from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur, is designed to help the Jewish people do one thing: remember, remember some important event in their history. Each and every time a Jewish holiday rolls around, faithful Jews are to re-tell or re-read the story of the ancient event and perform certain actions and rituals called for in the original account of the event recounted in what we call the Old Testament.

            Remember…Remember…Zakar…Zakar.

            Why, do you suppose, remembering is so important to God and to the Hebrew people? What is it about remembering that is so vitally important to a people of faith? Well, I think Deuteronomy 8 provides a pretty good clue, so let’s take another look at this pivotal passage in Hebrew Scripture.

            As I think you remember, the Hebrew people went through some pretty tough times together. They were conquered and kicked out of Israel several times. They were conquered and then occupied several other times. They had their temple destroyed. They wandered through the desert for 40 years at one point. There was no shortage of hardship in their journey as a people. But all along that journey, they developed a sense that Yahweh was with them, that they weren’t alone, and a huge part of their beautiful Jewish faith called them to remember – to remember those times when Yahweh made his presence particularly palpable. That’s what every one of the Jewish holidays celebrates – a time when Yahweh’s presence and saving action was undeniably real.

            So that brings us to Deuteronomy 8. The people of Israel have been wandering and suffering, hungering and thirsting for a very long time. And finally, at long last, they are about to enter the promised land, their homeland, a place where they won’t have to wander and worry, a place where no foreign powers or hostile dictators will rule over them. And at this pivotal moment in history, Moses brings them all together to remind them, to help them remember. He says, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land – a land with streams and pools of water (remember – they’d been in a desert for 40 years!), a land with springs flowing in the valleys and the hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey, a land where bread will not be scarce and where you will lack nothing.”

            Moses says, “Be sure that you remember, for when you have eaten and are satisfied, it will be so easy for you to forget…to forget to praise and thank God for the good land God has given you. Be careful that you never, ever forget the Lord your God and all that Yahweh has done! Otherwise,” Moses continues, “when you eat and are satisfied, when you build your houses and settle down, when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, your heart might become proud, and you might forget that the Lord your God is the One who brought you out of Egypt, freed you from slavery, and led you through the vast and dreadful desert…If you’re not careful,” Moses said, “you might forget all the manna God provided in the desert, when you were hungry. If you’re not careful, you might sit with your full bellies in your nice big houses and start to think, ‘My power and the strength of my hands has produced all this wealth for me.’ But remember,” Moses concludes, “remember that it is the Lord your God; it is Yahweh that has given you this place and the ability to produce wealth. Remember and do not ever forget. Remember…”

            Remembering is important…Remembering is incredibly important. You may live in a beautiful house with a nice yard on a peaceful street. But if you’re not careful, you might start to think that that was all made possible by your own hard work. You might start to take a little pride in the fact that you and your children live as comfortably and as safely as they do.

            I have a friend who uses a funny expression. When he meets a person who is a bit full of himself or perhaps not as grateful to his parents or ancestors as he should be, my says, “That guy was born on third base, and yet he acts like he just hit a triple.” I hope that is never said about you, me, or any of us.

            I think that is what Memorial Day is all about, isn’t it? I think Memorial Day is a holiday designed to remind us that we didn’t necessarily hit a triple to get to third base. There are lots of people, whose names we might not even know, whose faces we might not even be able to picture, who paid an extraordinary price, so that we could be here right now – in a beautiful place, safe, warm, well-fed, and free.

            Who are the people that we ought to remember and thank this day? Some are soldiers, some are officers, and some are presidents. And some may not have fought at all, but maybe stayed home and fed the rest of us, or kept the economy and other things going while the soldiers were away.

            We are so much like those Hebrews as they stood at the edge of the Promised Land. Here we sit in a free and prosperous America. Most of us don’t have to worry about where our next meal will come from. Most of us have all kinds of creature comforts. We may need that exact same reminder that Moses gave the Israelites – to remember and not forget all that God has done for us, and all that those who came before us and fought for us have done as well.

            Jesus talked a lot about remembering too. He instructed his followers to remember a lot of things. We’re to remember the poor. We’re to remember that he washed the feet of his followers and we’re supposed to as well. We’re to remember the five loaves and two fish and the feeding miracles. We’re to remember how we’ve been forgiven, so we, in turn, will forgive others. But Jesus also gave us a powerful tool to aid us in remembering all this important stuff.

            In the passage from John 14 that I shared a few minutes ago, Jesus said that one of the chief functions of the Holy Spirit is that it will teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus said to us. The Holy Spirit lives in us and stays with us SO THAT we never forget.

            Moses said, “Be careful – especially once you’ve eaten and are satisfied! Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God and all that Yahweh has done! Otherwise,” Moses continues, “when you build your houses and settle down, when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase, and all that you have is multiplied, your heart might become proud, and you might forget that the Lord your God is the One who brought you out of Egypt, freed you from slavery, and led you through the vast and dreadful desert…If you’re not careful,” Moses said, “you might forget all the manna God provided in the desert. You might start to think, ‘My power and the strength of my hands has produced all this wealth for me.’ But remember,” Moses concludes, “remember that it is the Lord your God; it is Yahweh who has given you this place and the ability to produce wealth. Remember and do not ever forget.”

            Memorial Day is an incredibly important holiday for Christians. We need to take it as seriously as our Jewish brothers and sisters take all of their holidays. We need to remember and give thanks. We need to remember and be humble. We need to remember and recognize that we didn’t get where we are today on our own. We have so many men and women to thank. We have so many ancestors, relatives, and soldiers who paid dearly – often with their lives – to give us what we have today.

     There’s a really cool story in the Old Testament book of Joshua. We often forget that when the Israelites finally entered the Promised Land, Moses didn’t get to go in with them. Even though Moses had so faithfully and bravely won their freedom from Pharaoh; even though Moses led them through the 40 years in the wilderness, Moses didn’t get to go with his people into the land of Canaan. Joshua did. And as one of his first acts as the new leader of the Israelites, Joshua instructed an elder from each of the twelve tribes to bring a stone from the Jordan River to their first encampment within the new Promised Land. Joshua piled the stones together, prayed over them, and called the place Gilgal. His purpose was that when future generations came along and asked what the stones meant, they would be told all the stories of what the Lord had done for them. “These stones,” said Joshua, “shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.” I like to think that the first stone in that pile would always remind them of Moses. Joshua may have been the leader that got to go into the Promised Land, but he was only there because of Moses. Who is your Moses? Who is my Moses? Who do you need to remember and give thanks for this Memorial Day?

            Zakar…Remember. It’s time. It’s always time to remember and give thanks. We may find ourselves standing on third base; but that doesn’t mean we hit a triple to get here. Amen.