Title Like a Child / 2005.5.1
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Mark 10:13-16, Philippians 2:5-8
Today is Children's Day. When I look at the children, they are all so beautiful and lovely. That is why anyone who sees children automatically smiles. Why? Because in them we see who we are. It is because we can see the original form that God created us, the innocence that we lost while living.
You must have heard this poem at least once.
Rainbow
When I look at the rainbow in the sky
Even now my heart is beating
So it was in my childhood,
Even now as an adult, it is the same.
May it be the same even when you are old!
Otherwise I would be dead!
Children are the fathers of adults
Hopefully every day of my life
May it lead to naive piety....
/ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Children are the fathers of grown-ups--adults come from children, so the poetic expression of being the fathers of grown-ups comes from. Why, when, and why did we lose that pure and beautiful heart that made our hearts race while looking at the rainbow? I believe that Children's Sunday was created in the sense that we should recover the image of us, who have been shackled to and fro from living in a harsh world, and have become hardened as we get hurt, cold-hearted, greedy, and worn out.
Today, the world has become a world where children are the masters of every family, but 200 years ago, children were not recognized as much, not only in Korea, but everywhere. Because the value of a person was evaluated as a labor force. It was at such a time that I discovered the preciousness of children and started the movement to cherish them. It was inspired by the teachings of the Bible.
In today's verse, it is said that people brought little children because they wanted Jesus to touch them. This must have been the zeal of mothers' love. However, the disciples did not like to bring their children with them, perhaps out of trouble. So I rebuked them. Why are you bringing children like this when it's noisy and annoying! They would have given you a pincup. But when Jesus saw this, he became 'wrathful' and instead rebuked the disciples.
Let little children come to me, and do not forbid them
The kingdom of God belongs to such.
Truly I say to you
Anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God
I will never be able to get in. Mark 10:14-15
That's an amazing word. We all want to go to the kingdom of God, but if we do not receive him like a child, we will not be able to go. How do we receive the kingdom of God together?
First, he is speaking of humble faith.
I am not saying to be like a child. It means to have the same heart before God. It refers to believing in a child-like posture, not by being arrogant and stiff.
In the words of 2 Samuel 6:20-23, David danced in front of the ark to take off his clothes with joy when he brought the ark to Jerusalem. At that time, his wife, Michal, who looked down at the tooth from the royal palace, later rebuked it for ignoring it. David said, “This is what I did before God. He said that I would make myself less humble than this, even though I appear lowly.
David's faith is like this. When we humble ourselves before God and have faith that pleases God, this faith is the faith that will allow us to enter the kingdom of God.
When Solomon became king, he offered a thousand burnt offerings. After receiving the burnt offering, God said, 'Ask what I will give you.' Then Solomon asked, 'O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David, your father, but you are a small child and do not know how to go in and out. Give me wisdom to do so.' When you ask with a childish heart, God answered, 'I will give you wealth, number, and glory as well as the wisdom you have asked for' (1 Kings 3:4-15).
This is what a child looks like. When you ask in the form of a child, you can see that God answered you even more greatly.
Those who truly realized the grace of the cross that saved me from being thrown into eternal punishment can never be proud. I have no choice but to be grateful with a humble heart like a child. The true Christian faith is realizing that no matter what you do, it is nothing compared to the grace the Lord has bestowed upon you. Knowing the grace of the cross, how can we not be humble!
Second, He speaks of faith in obedience.
Faith is obedience to the Word with the same heart. Before the Word, my knowledge, my experience, and my economy are nothing. Just as a child who doesn't know anything receives new teachings and follows them unconditionally, following the Word is childlike faith.
Let this mind be in you, which is also the mind of Christ Jesus.
Although he was in the original form of God, he did not regard equality with God as robbery.
Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a servant, and became like men.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death.
soon to die on the cross. Philippians 2:5-8
Even Jesus was obedient to the point of death. Paul also said that he threw away his knowledge and experience before God like dung, and boasted only of the cross with the heart of a child.
It is not in vain to say that Abraham is the father of faith. God commanded Abraham.
Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house and go to the land I will show you. Genesis 12:1
Before this command of God, Abraham obeyed like a child and left his hometown. His whole life was such a life of obedience to God like a child. It is because of this obedience faith that Abraham was blessed.
Third, He speaks of growing faith.
A child has a pure and pure heart. A child's heart is unspoiled and unspoiled by the world. That's why we accept anything well and learn anything well. So, one of the characteristics of children is that they grow up quickly. Faith is to change and grow like a child.
When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they still had the spirit of a servant in their hearts. So, if it was a little painful or uncomfortable, they complained and complained about going back to Egypt. God did not take these people to Canaan. These old people all died through their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and the land of Canaan was given only to young children and new people who were born again. You cannot enter the kingdom of God with old things as they are. You have to live a new life every day in order to enter the kingdom of God.
Children always live toward the future. Growing up with a dream. Faith like a child that can go to the kingdom of God is the faith that is born again through the word every day.
Sometimes we meet very clever children. This is because it is not the original child's mind, but has been mis-learned by adults or tainted by the wrong adults.
Adults are said to be children's mirrors. It means that the words and actions of adults are passed on to children. Life attitude, attitude toward people, values of life, and above all, faith life and devotion life at church. is.
The heart originally given by God is not like that. It is a beautiful heart that is clean, pure, loving, and living together. In such a pure heart, the right faith, the right outlook on life, and the right attitude toward life must be planted.
And it should be the faith that builds a life of sanctification in which we ourselves will always grow and mature with better faith. That is the image of a person who follows the kingdom of God like a child.
He said that unless you are like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. As we read today's Word deeply, I hope that all of you will become saints who glorify God with childlike faith before God. Childlike faith is a faith of humility, an obedient faith, and a changing faith. I bless you to become people of such faith.
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