Scripture: Mark 10:13-16; Job 1:1; Job 2:1-10 Series: Unpreached Sermons
An unfinished sermon (the manuscript breaks off at the third virtue) on Mark 10:13-16, with Job 1:1; 2:1-10 as the paired lectionary reading. Drawing on the historical observation that ancient cultures had no concept of childhood and saw children as immature, non-responsible, and low-status, the sermon reads Jesus’s two commands: do not bar children from his presence, and receive the kingdom of God as a little child. It affirms that Covenant already welcomes children, then presses the harder claim that our whole bearing toward God should be childlike. It names three childlike virtues to appropriate — courage (David and Goliath), humility (Joseph in slavery), and wonder — though the text ends just as the wonder section begins.
Illustrations: childhood-modern-concept, children-barred-restaurants-bars, rabbi-seated-teaching, legal-system-children-responsibility, david-and-goliath, joseph-sold-into-slavery
Oct 6
Like a child
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Mark 10:13-16
There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to the accuser, “Where have you come from?” The accuser answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.” The Lord said to the accuser, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.” Then the accuser answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that the man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” The Lord said to the accuser, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.” So the accuser went out from the presence of the Lord and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
- Job 1:1; 2:1-10
“People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 NRSV https://bible.com/bible/2016/mrk.10.13-16.NRSV
Childhood is a fairly modern concept. For much of human history, there was little thought put into a stage of life called childhood In ancient Rome. And ancient Israel, there wasn’t a conception of childhood. Child was not an adult, they were not mature. That is how it was seen In Greek, the word per child doesn’t have a gender. That’s why sometimes it’s translated as it. Jesus makes some radical notions here. Children are not mature, children are not responsible. This is definitional in this, you know, our, our legal system is based around this, that the children to a certain age are not responsible for their actions. It would be unjust to hold them to the same level of account. Children don’t bear financial liability and Jesus said for those little children to come to him. And a part of the reason the disciples wanted to keep the children away is not just because they’re being sticks in the mud and don’t want wild children. This kind of how it’s often portrayed. Now, Jesus is a teacher and so to sit the feet of Jesus is to be taught. This is a very, the, the teaching position for second Temple Jews like the Rabbi sat and then everybody sat around. It wasn’t a lecture type system. Jesus makes two major claims here. One is let the children come to me. And the second is whoever does not receive the kingdom of God, like a little child, will never enter it. So we have two commands of sort from Jesus. Don’t bar the entry of children into your space. The reason why people bar the entry of children is because children are unpredictable, unruly. There are many restaurants where children are not allowed. There are many bars where children are not allowed, in fact, a bar where a child is not allowed. But this is a notion that I think many, many of us feel. This is not a particular challenge. I’m sure there’s times when you want to have a grownup conversation, but it, I don’t think this is a notion that’s challenging us at Covenant. Covenant is welcoming. Is welcoming to children. We are excited to have children here, no matter how quiet or loud they are. So yay. But Jesus isn’t finished. And this is where I think we need to be pushed. Truly, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. That’s the crux. It’s not just about what we do for the kids. It’s our bearing towards God should be childlike. Now, children don’t receive a lot of space throughout the Bible. There are a few exceptions of course, but it’s just not a major aspect of scripture. A lot of the stories in the Bible are stories you wouldn’t wanna share with children. But part of it, I think, is for us to understand what are the childlike qualities which Jesus is lifting up for us to appropriate so that we can be like a child. I’m gonna lift up three. Humility, wonder and courage. The courage we will go backwards. The courage of the child, the courage of the one who does not know better. I think the best example of this is, is David and Goliath. The people around him thought he was crazy because he wasn’t afraid of Goliath, but David believed what he said, that God would be with him. These other soldiers of the Israeli empire did not. They thought that notion about God being with him was to make him feel good. Instead, his faith defeated giant. And then the next virtue would be Humility. We see this in the story of Joseph, who even though his brothers sell him into slavery, holds faith, there’s an easy situation where a rich kid is hold into slavery and complains about everything so much that he is just like sent up river. But that’s not what Joseph did. He survived and he thrived in a matter of the situation. The third virtue is wonder.