Abler exegetes than I might argue that I have pushed neepyos too far. Not sorry for that.
Sermon for the Third Sunday after Pentecost Legal Minority Theme: Baptism is not just for little children! Baptism turns you into a little child, that is, a legal minor who cannot be held responsible for his or her own actions. Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. In today’s Gospel, Jesus prays, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. When Jesus says “little children” in this Gospel, He is using a Greek word that does not speak about a child’s age or size, as would “infant” or “adolescent” or “teenager.” When He says “little children” here, Jesus is using a single word that means “legal minors” or “people unspoiled by experience” or “people unable to be held responsible.” “Little children”; legal minors unspoiled by experience and unaccountable for their own actions: This is truly a magnificent Word from God, one that will comfort you and console you, no matter what you have experienced in your life. Jesus calls you and every Christian “little children” in this Gospel. With this Word, Jesus wants you to know and never to doubt that your heavenly Father now considers you a minor, unspoiled by experience and unable to be held responsible for what you have done. Perhaps we should even think of this Gospel as a baptismal Gospel, because it gives you a very such good way of thinking about your Baptism: 1. In Baptism, God continually washes away from you the soil of your life’s experiences, along with whatever wisdom or maturity you might foolishly think you have accumulated over time. 2. In Baptism, God changed your status. He made you into a legal minor in the court His own divine Law. By the power of your Baptism you are now someone who cannot be held responsible for his or her own actions. SOMEONE ELSE now bears that responsibility FOR YOU: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world, even yours. How To Be Certain that You Yourself are a “Little Child” in this Gospel I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. Jesus says two words in this Gospel that are absolutely essential for you, if you are to see yourself as one the “little children”—one of those legal minors—He is speaking about. The two essential words for you are “these things.” Listen again: “I thank You, Father… that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” What are “these things” that God the Father has hidden from the wise and revealed to little children legal minors? In order to know what Jesus means by the words “these things,” you have to go backward a short distance in Matthew’s Book. Just prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus had been complaining about the way the most people regarded both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself. John and Jesus are the “these things” in today’ Gospel. · “Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist,” said Jesus (Matthew 11:11). Yet most of the people who listened to John’s preaching considered themselves to be wise and understanding. Because they thought themselves so wise and understanding, these people did not believe John was a prophet. They thought John had a demon (Matthew 11:18). Who believes that John was a prophet? According to today’s Gospel, “little children” do. Those people who are yet unsoiled by experience and unable to be held accountable for their own actions—they believe John was a prophet. “I thank You, Father… that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” So here is the first test that you can use to see if you are one of the “little children” in today’s Gospel: Do you believe John the Baptist was a prophet sent from God? Only “little children” believe such things. If you believe John was a prophet, you therefore may be confident that you are one of the “little children” in today’s Gospel. · As they treated John, the so-called “wise and understanding” likewise treated Jesus. They did not believe Jesus is the Son of Man, the Promised Christ prophesied of old. Just prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus complained that, because “the Son of Man came eating and drinking… they [the so-called wise and understanding] say, ‘Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matthew 11:19) Who believes that Jesus is the Son of Man, the Promised Christ sent from God the Father? According to today’s Gospel, “little children” do. Those people who are yet unsoiled by experience and unable to be held accountable for their own actions—they believe Jesus is the Son of Man. “I thank You, Father… that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” So here is the second test that you can use to see if you can consider yourself to be one of the “little children” in today’s Gospel: Do you believe Jesus is the Son of Man, that is, the Promised Christ who is also the source of your forgiveness and life? Only “little children” believe such things. If you believe Jesus is the Son, you therefore may be confident beyond all doubt that you are one of the “little children” Jesus is speaking about in today’s Gospel. Why It Is Important to See Yourself as a “Little Child” in this Gospel “Little children”: your Lord Jesus have a very great blessing for you in this Greek word that means “legal minors” or “people unspoiled by experience” or “people unable to be held responsible.” When Jesus calls you a little child, He is not talking down to you or speaking diminutively to you, as if it were a bad thing to regarded in this way. When He calls you a little child, Jesus is cleansing you and releasing you from your burden and responsibility. With the word “little children,” Jesus is setting you free from your life’s experiences and He is tearing you away from whatever wisdom or maturity you might foolishly think you have accumulated. I say it again: When Jesus says “little children” to you in this Gospel, He is using a Greek word that does not speak about a child’s age or size, as would “infant” or “adolescent” or “teenager.” When He says “little children” here, Jesus is using a single word that means “legal minors” or “people unspoiled by experience” or “people unable to be held responsible.” · My eyes have been filled with sights that I now wish they had not. Perhaps yours have, also. My hands have performed actions that make me wish I never had a pair of hands. Likely yours have, too. My mind has gone places and my body has experienced things that are shameful even to remember, much less to admit. Listen to what Jesus calls you here in today’s Gospel: “little child.” With this Word, Jesus wants you to know that you now are someone who has been unsoiled and unspoiled by experience. Jesus’ powerful Word and His miraculous Baptism continually cleanse you of your sins and they wash away your experiences. Because you are baptized by Jesus, you now stand right next to Him (Matthew 19:13) young and innocent and naïve and even inexperienced. · Last Wednesday I celebrated my fourteenth anniversary of ordination into the pastoral office. Big Whoop! While I would like to think that I am older and wiser—maybe even a tad more mature—today’s Gospel teaches me not to be fooled by wisdom and understanding. The wise and understanding do not get it! Only “little children” do. Neither your experience nor mine will improve our Christianity. Only God’s revelation of Christ Jesus in His powerful can do that. Only God’s miracle of Baptism can give us any wisdom that matters. Only God’s miracle of Holy Communion can open our eyes to know and to understand all the more Jesus and His ongoing care for us (Luke 24:31). · Today Jesus calls you “little children,” that is, “people unable to be held responsible.” Think of the example of a Kindergartner who throws a rock through a window. No one would seriously argue that the little child must pay for the damage or given a fine. The child might be rebuked in some manner, but in the end, the child cannot be held responsible for what he or she has done. Someone else—usually mom or dad—must bear responsibility for the child’s action. Jesus wants you to know that the same thing now goes for you. You are a little child in today’s Gospel. That is to say, Jesus wants you to know that you are now someone who cannot be held responsible for his or her own actions. Jesus Himself has borne that responsibility for you. ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster. Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. Stefanski <MoM [at] lists (dot) cat41 <dot> org>
