A sermon by Rev. Henley May 18, 2008
"Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God… And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
Let the children come, Jesus said. It is reported in three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is another example of Jesus’ inclusiveness. For we know that in the first century in Palestine, children were nothing more to their fathers than property with possibilities. They had no value as themselves; their only value was what they would contribute if, and it was a big IF, if they grew up.
The disciples saw the mothers bringing their children to be blessed the rabbi, and they followed the conventional approach, don’t let anything interfere with the rabbi’s teaching—little children are just in the way. Jesus, being the unconventional, radical rabbi that he was welcomed the children. With our modern sensibilities, we think, but children are so special; however, it wasn’t that long ago in our culture that “children were to be seen and not heard.”
We say we cherish our children, but
there are still too many parents who abuse their children,
there are still too many school districts that tolerate deplorable conditions in their schools, and
there are still too many young people who are forced to drop out of school for many, sad, sad, reasons.
Our systemic and cultural relationships with our children are still in need of just and equitable treatment for our nation’s children. However, most families cherish their children and most parents do all they can to ensure their children have the education and care they need. We all want our children to grow up to be healthy, productive, and caring adults.
It is this story, where Jesus says, let the children come, that is the foundation for our Christian theology of baptizing or christening our children. Anthropologists tell us that humans have always created rituals for welcoming children into the world. And historians tell us that the ancient Hebrew welcomed their children into the world. So our baptism today of James and Simon is meaningful as a time immemorial celebration.
But that is not all the radical rabbi said in that story. He also said, “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
This verse, verse fifteen “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it,” sounds exclusionary. Something that surprises us, because for us, Jesus is an “includer,” not an “excluder.”
The language in this story is similar to the story in the third chapter of the Gospel of John, where the wealthy ruler Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night.
1 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Scholars tell us that it was the tradition of the Hebrews, if someone from another tribe wanted to become a Jew, he would be baptized and circumcised. Then he would be considered Jewish.
This tradition represented a birth into Judaism; the rituals were an analogy for the spiritual birth of becoming one of God’s children. Jesus used the words “born again,” because those were the words the Jews used for this conversion. They understood when one used this term “born again,” they meant the spiritual experience of becoming part of the tribes of Israel.
Then why did Nicodemus ask that question if it was already understood? He asked, because Jesus wanted to make it clear that being “born again” is a spiritual experience. And, an experience that everyone could have. It was a choice one made to become a part of the kingdom of God.
We are not born into the kingdom;
We are not voted into the kingdom;
We do not inherit the kingdom;
We choose to become a part of it.
What is this kingdom Jesus talked about? It is creating the BEST POSSIBLE world HUMANELY POSSIBLE. It is creating a world for all children that IS just and equitable. Universalism isn’t just about the eternal promise of all souls united in God; it is the promise of all souls united in this time and world that we share today. It is about our interconnected existence. Universalism is about creating a kingdom that includes everyone.
To create this existence, we have to become as little children. How do we become like a child?
What does a child have that we as adults don’t have? Innocence and trust.
Our first reading today from Rev. Woofenden suggests that the innocence of childhood is extraordinarily difficult to recapture as an adult. He says we can never completely capture that innocence and trust of childhood. But, he says, as we grow old, as we “no longer need to work to support … our families or [we] are no longer able to work” we can enter a second childhood. He means of course, that when we retire, we become playful. We play with our grandchildren, we play more tennis, we play more golf, we play more bridge, we play. So, it is possible, as adults, for us to be childlike again.
Building the kingdom does not have to wait for each of us to retire. Building the kingdom is about allowing ourselves to be like children, playful, innocent and trusting.
Imagine innocence.
Innocence sees everyone as being capable of love. It sees everyone as being capable of giving. Innocence is believing that everything is all right. SURE. No, don’t let your mind take you away from this image. Let’s start over.
Innocence sees everyone as being capable of love. It sees everyone as being capable of giving. Innocence is no thoughts of stealing, murder, war. Innocence is believing that everything is all right.
Imagine trust.
A poem by a young girl entitled “SAVES ME” tells us about how important trust is to children.
I trust the night
I trust the stars that shine
I trust the moon
I know its love’s divine
I trust the wind
I trust its winding ways
I trust the sky
I know its separate days
I trust the dawn
I trust its rising light
I trust the sun
I know its blinding sight
I trust the clouds
I trust the crimson waves
I trust the things I love
I know that this trust saves
Me.
[Natasha Ashwe, July 16,2006]
Trust is believing that we will be fed, cared for, and loved.
Idyllic, and Jesus said we cannot enter the kingdom of God without this innocence and trust? We cannot create God’s kingdom on earth without this innocence and trust.
You know, I’ve always admired Quakers. In fact, I’ve said many times, I’d like to be a Quaker, but I know I’m just not good enough a person! I say this with a smile, and as a joke, but it is with longing. If only I could be good enough.
I think Quakers are trying to build God’s kingdom on earth, and I think they are pretty close to being innocent and trusting. They don’t believe in war, or participating in war, at all. They are true pacifists. They really believe it is possible to eradicate war. Not only war, but poverty and injustice.
If building the kingdom is a choice, then it is like choosing to open a door, and walk through that door and as we walk through that door there is a transformation of our spirits, and on the other side of the door there is God’s kingdom on earth.
Imagine, around the equator there is a wall of doors. All the way around the earth. And on one side is God’s kingdom. Where there is justice and equality. There is no war, no hunger, no homelessness. Imagine this with me.
And we, are all standing on this side of all those doors. We grown-ups who know from life experience that there are people who steal, people who are corrupt, people who want nothing more than to provide munitions and guns for the next war, the next rebellion. We grown-ups know that there are people who abuse and hurt others. We grown-ups, who are realistic, know that money is the bottom-line, and many human stories end with “how much money” is in it for me. We grown-ups know that wealth or water—resources—determine the actions of human beings and nations.
What will it take for us, all of us to open those doors to God’s kingdom? Does the transformation begin before we touch that handle, or does it happen as we walk through the door to God’s kingdom? What kind of courage does it take to even open the door?
Is it humanly possible to have God’s kingdom on earth? I don’t know.
Today, I to have a lot more questions than I do answers about this Scripture.
What I do know is that Jesus believed it was possible. Gandhi believed it was possible. Many, throughout humankind’s story have believed it was possible. I know there are millions of people around our planet who believe it is possible.
I also know there are thousands and thousands of people who are working on eradicating poverty, homelessness, hunger, injustice, and war. I know that there are some grown-ups who have allowed themselves to be innocent and trusting again. I know some people like that; do you?
Recently one of these people who believes we can create God’s kingdom and who works tirelessly to do so, told me that Thich Nhat Hahn was talking about the state of the world and the Buddhist monk said, “I am not optimistic, but I am hopeful.” It seems that learned people for many decades have been saying those same words, I am not optimistic, but I am hopeful.
Peter Gomes, minister of the Memorial Church at Harvard and a professor at the Divinity School said, “To be hopeful is to be ultimately realistic in the face of every reason for despair.”
To be hopeful is to be ultimately realistic in the face of every reason for despair.
Are we grown-ups more comfortable with despair than we are with innocence and trust? Are we more comfortable with “reasons for despair” than we are reasons for hope? What does it take for all the grown-ups to open the doors to God’s kingdom?
I know that God’s kingdom is a choice for all of us, Christians, Muslims, Jews, all people of all faiths, including pagans, atheists, and agnostics. God’s kingdom is a choice for all of us grown-ups.
When,
how,
will we
open the door.
Amen and blessed be.
READING I
“The Innocence of a Child” by the Rev. Lee Woofenden, Bridgewater, MA, April 22, 2001
Even though children are most often entirely wrapped up in their own feelings and desires in a way that would be considered, well, childish in an adult, we can't help but love them. Why? Because they mean no harm by anything they do. They innocently and spontaneously express what is within, and the quality of simple trust and harmlessness that suffuses everything they say and do gives them an endearing quality that few of us manage to retain into adulthood…
The innocence of childhood is extraordinarily difficult to recapture as an adult. In fact, let's be honest: as long as we live on this earth and our minds remain fully functioning, we can never again experience the utter innocence of young children whose parents love and care for them. We have seen too much, and we know too much. We have seen too much of the seamy side of life--of people treating each other badly and not being trustworthy; of people taking advantage of others and doing great damage to them. We know too much of what can happen to people in this world who do not protect themselves from that seamy side of life. We may have had our own innocence taken advantage of; or we may have seen others "taken to the cleaners," so to speak, when they really didn't deserve it.
…
Perhaps this is why we have a whole lifetime to become childlike again. Perhaps this is why it is only in our elder years, when we either no longer need to work to support ourselves and our families or are no longer able to work, that we can enter our "second childhood."
READING II
Mark 10:13-16 RSV
[13] And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. [15] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [16] And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.