Martin Luther, having sparked the Reformation, made provision for priests to marry and have children - and did so himself.  As he surveyed the chaos of his household one day he muttered, "What could Jesus mean in saying we must become like children?  Why become such idiots?"

   Typically we attach warm adjectives to this idea of being childlike:  we say children are honest, pure, loving, open, unjaded.  But in this context, the disciples are elbowing toward the front, wondering "Who will be the greatest in the kingdom?"  So Jesus points to someone who is small, seemingly insignificant, somebody not caught up in rank and title, someone unconcerned with status and privilege - and suggest that we must have such a mind, such a heart, or we will miss the kingdom, where everything seems turned upside down.

   The world preaches "Get ahead!  Look out for #1!  More is better."  But Jesus says "Get down.  Be humble.  Look out for little ones.  Less is more."  After all, why did God come down as a child instead of a giant?

   Lord, I want to extricate myself from the competition to get ahead.  Show me the child in me, and in others.  

James

james@mpumc.org

Sunday's sermon on Matthew 16:13-26, "Take Up Your Cross," may be heard by clicking here - and you can get it via podcast too!  In the sermon you will hear about our effort to raise money for the reconstruction of the Moore Community House in Biloxi - and know that contributions may be sent to MPUMC, Box 6161, Charlotte 28207.

Here is the full text of Matthew 18:1-10 -  1: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2: And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3: and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4: Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5: "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 6: but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7: "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes! 8: And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9: And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. 10: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

The full eFollowingJesus series (thus far!) may be found on our web site.