A Humble Child and a Heavy Stone
I appreciate the kind comments I’ve received about my dad’s message last Sunday. He’s a pretty good preacher for 81-years-old, isn’t he? For the coming weeks our themes in worship will be coming from chapters in the Gospels that many of us are reading through this summer. If you haven’t started it isn’t too late to get going because we’re only reading a chapter a day. On Tuesday, we’ll be reading Matthew 18 which begins this way:
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
6 “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!”
June 16, 2013
Matthew 18:1-7, A Humble Child and a Heavy Stone
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
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Matthew’s Gospel is divided into five major discourses just like there are five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus…). The Fourth discourse begins in Chapter 18 which is about life together in the Church. It begins, “The disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Remembering this passage is about life together in the church, the disciples are asking, who is the MVP in the Kingdom of heaven, who’s the best disciple, the most exemplary follower, which one of us do you like best, who is the most indispensable church member, whose opinion matters the most, which one of us is the most important, who is the best at fishing for people, who is the greatest? Think about the absurdity of asking Jesus this question about who is the greatest. Asking Jesus who said earlier in Matthew 5:3-11: “Blessed are the poor in spirit & those who mourn, Blessed are the meek & those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” It’s like these guys missed the entire Sermon on the Mount. Jesus could have responded in a lot of ways. I’m sure a few came to mind, but rather than calling them selfish, prideful, slow learners, or worse; rather than saying, the greatest is the one who remembers what I told you already and actually does it; rather than rolling his eyes and sighing in exasperation, Jesus tries to teach them using a visual aid to assist their memory.
“He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I guarantee you when Jesus put a child in their midst the disciples had no clue what he was doing. Jesus is shifting the emphasis from greatness to the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus begins by saying we need to change and become like children. What does he mean by that? Some folks have suggested Jesus means we need to be Innocent, but children even slightly beyond infancy can’t exactly be described as innocent. Bill Cosby tells the story of walking into the kitchen and finding his two-year-old daughter standing on a chair she had pushed to the counter reaching for cookies. “I asked her, ‘What are you doing?’ And she replied, “I getting a cookie for you.” “I don’t want a cookie.” “Then can I have it?” Children are naturally self-centered and gradually learn; if taught, to consider others and to obey rules that make for healthy relationships. Some of us learn this faster than others.
If Jesus doesn’t mean as innocent as children, perhaps he means we need to be as Teachable as children to participate in God’s kingdom by learning God’s ways and living accordingly. One of the coolest things to me about children when they’re really young and have not yet learned to speak is watching their eyes and you can almost hear their little brains whirring with activity as they are processing all they are hearing, seeing, touching, and sticking in their mouth. Children are always learning for good and for bad by what they observe going on around them. You’re always “on” when children are around.
While I think Jesus wants us to be teachable, I think we’re getting closer to the change Jesus means when we consider the dependence of children on parents for food, shelter, care, and nurture. There is no creature on earth, as far as I know, that is more dependent on others for its survival for longer than human children. Fish, turtles, and many other creatures – they’re on their own from the moment they’re born and the world can be a tough place with other creatures just waiting to eat you. Human beings are dependent on their parents or guardians not for minutes but for years. Entering the kingdom of God like a child means recognizing our dependence on God and learning to trust in and depend on a Heavenly Parent who can be relied on as no human parent can be, no matter how devoted.
Entering the Kingdom of God as a child means we’re teachable, we recognize our dependence on God, and it requires humility. Jesus says, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both humble and honest, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received a letter from the college that began: “Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.” It is possible to be humble not only in life but in death. Nearing his journey’s end, Christian leader John Calvin gave strict instructions that he be buried in the common cemetery with no tombstone. He wished to give no encouragement to those who might make it a Protestant shrine. Today, his grave site is unknown.[1] Jesus desires humble, teachable, trusting followers, rather than those who are arrogant, immovable, and trusting in themselves.
Keeping the child next to him and in full view of all the disciples, Jesus continues, “5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Jesus is urging his followers to treat even the youngest, the most helpless and powerless, as we would welcome and treat Jesus himself. This is something most us can improve on. Do we honestly treat every child that crosses our path as if he or she was a little Jesus? What is discouraging to me and also hard to believe after this teaching by Jesus in chapter 18 is the disciple’s attitude in Matthew 19:13-15. “Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them & pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” How soon we can forget or ignore Jesus’ words. No wonder Jesus needed time alone away from the disciples!
Perhaps that is why in Chapter 18 Jesus said, 6 “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!”
I was struck as I read this passage in the last week or so by the repetition of the imagery of stumbling blocks and a millstone. Jesus repeats his warning about stumbling blocks four times in these few verses. Anyone who has stumbled while hiking or walking on a trail, trying to get across the living room, or even to the bathroom at night, knows that you can get really injured stumbling. It isn’t pretty; it hurts, and can be embarrassing if someone else sees us. One of the first things we do if we stumble is look around to see if anyone noticed us in our less than graceful moment. Last month we were helping clear a walking trail for Greg’s Eagle Scout project and part of what we had to do was clear every tripping hazard that could cause someone to stumble. These were naturally occurring things like old stumps and roots – no one had put them there intentionally, of course. It would be far worse to stumble because someone tried to trip us up. Jesus is strongly warning us not to put a stumbling block in front of a little one who believes in him. A “little one” could be a child or one whose faith is still in its infancy.
You may have noticed the stumbling blocks when you entered the sanctuary this morning. They are pretty heavy, but moveable. My helper looked into millstones for me also, because I would have liked to have had one of those, but even the smallest ones weighed several hundred pounds. Think about what that implies about what Jesus is saying. If we cause a little one to stumble, we’d be better off trying to swim with a 300 pound weight around our neck (which is called being an anchor), than facing the Lord’s judgment for what we had done. It says something about the infinite value that God puts on every person. Jesus saying this four times is basically yelling at us, “Don’t be a stumbling block!”
This has been on mind a lot this week. It grieves me when I feel like I’ve been a stumbling block to someone else. If I have impeded their spiritual progress or hurt someone in any way by how I have behaved. I kept thinking about blocks of stone and how they can function negatively as stumbling blocks that cause pain and hurt and how the same stones can also serve a positive function as stepping stones or as part of building a solid foundation. I think it is pretty clear that Jesus doesn’t want any of us to be a stumbling block, rather he wants us to be stepping stones and part of strong foundations. He wants us to help people move forward especially through challenging terrain in life – if you’ve ever gone hiking and been confronted by a stream or other water, it is so nice to have stones to help you get across. Back in April, Pastor Patti preached about the passage from 1 Peter where we’re exhorted to be like living stones. The beauty of living stones compared to regular ones is we can move and we can be stepping stones for many people throughout the day. We can be part of many foundations, not just one. We are not static and stuck.
Keeping this idea in mind, I believe is very helpful, “Am I being a stumbling block a stepping stone, or helping build a foundation?” Of course I realize, stones can be used for other things as well like walls, wells, and fireplaces, but the point is to be useful to the Lord and others rather than a barrier, a hindrance, or literally a pain. At Joyce Freshwater’s memorial service this past Wednesday her small group was here to remember her. That group was instrumental in supporting Joyce as she dealt with cancer and the death of her husband Jon four years ago. It functioned the way a small group should caring for one another and providing stepping stones through the tough times. A Christian author shared the following personal decisions we can make to help us be stepping stones and build foundations for the common good:
1. If you are a father or a mother, make your children the most important priority in your life and build your other commitments around them. If you are not a parent, look for children who could benefit from your investment in their lives.
2. If you are married, be faithful to your spouse. Demonstrate your commitment with both your fidelity and your love. If you are single, measure your relationships by their integrity, not their usefulness.
3. If you are a person of faith, focus not just on what you believe but on how you act on those beliefs. If you love God, ask God how to love your neighbor.
4. Take the place you live seriously. Make the context of your life and work the parish that you take responsibility for.
5. Seek to develop a vocation and not just a career. Discern your gifts as a child of God, not just your talents, and listen for your calling rather than just looking for opportunities. Remember that your personal good always relates to the common good.
6. Make choices by distinguishing between wants and needs. Choose what is enough, rather than what is possible to get. Replace appetites with values, teach your children the same, and model those values for all who are in your life.
7. Look at the business, company, or organization where you work from an ethical perspective. Ask what its vocation is, too. Challenge whatever is dishonest or exploitative and help your place of work do well by doing good.
8. Ask yourself what in the world today most breaks your heart and offends your sense of justice. Decide to help change that and join with others who are committed to transforming that injustice.
9. Get to know who your political representatives are at both the local and national level. Study their policy decisions and examine their moral compass and public leadership. Make your public convictions and commitments known to them and choose to hold them accountable.
10. Since the difference between events and movements is sacrifice, which is also the true meaning of religion and what makes for social change, ask yourself what is important enough to give your life to and for.
Finding the integral relationship between your own personal good and the common good is your best contribution to our future. And it is the best hope we have for a better life together.[2]
Those are all good ways to be stepping stones and not stumbling blocks. A woman named Lauri, shared the following experience. Recently I took my sons, 12-year-old Matthew and 6-year-old Ryan, to my parents’ house for an afternoon visit. They spent some time playing and socializing with their grandparents. When we were ready to leave, my dad said to Matthew, “You made my day.” Matthew replied, “God made your day; we just put the icing on it.”
God made your day, now go put the icing on it for somebody else.
Don’t be a stumbling block, be a stepping stone, help build someone’s foundation.
Prayer: Lover of the Children By Ken Medema
Walking in the sunshine
Laughing in the rain;
Lover of the children make me young again.
Climbing in the treetops,
Running down the shore;
Lover of the children, make me young once more.
Vigorous & daring, teachable & mild;
Lover of the children,
Make me like a child.
Trusting in your goodness
Walking where you lead;
Make me young indeed.
Make me young enough to know that alone I dare not
Go through the darkness of the night.
Make me young enough to see your love will never let me go.
Make me open to surprise, put wonder in my eyes,
Make my vision clear & bright.
Make me willing to be led & to follow where you bid me go.
Fearing not tomorrow Trusting you today;
Lover of the children make me young I pray.”