As A Child
A television network recently presented a show in which the host attempted to persuade people in all walks of life to repeat, on camera, a number of absurd assertions. While the sight of randomly chosen people agreeing to some of these notions was amusing, the implications became somewhat darker when university professors and highly placed members of government demonstrated the same willingness to affirm, in some cases strongly, the host's ridiculous statements. One elected official agreed to congratulate a large country, on camera, for supposedly moving from a 20 hour day to the "more conventional" 24 hour clock, while professors at some of North America's most respected ivy-league universities repeated, again with full knowledge they were on camera, statements condemning bear hunting on the public streets of one of the world's leading cities.
Television shows are almost always assembled from a large number of 'clips,' with errors -- and anything which does not advance the position taken by the show -- simply left out. However, as is common with some works of entertainment today, a few of these 'outtakes' were presented at the end of the show, and it was one of these outtakes which caught the eye of many viewers. In that segment, rejected from the main presentation, the host is seen working to persuade a woman to agree to a statement about the 'states' in Canada. While the woman considers the host's words, a youth standing next to her, presumably her son, visibly struggles to keep quiet. Finally the young man can stand it no longer. "Hold on," he says to the host. "Canada doesn't have states, it has provinces!"
Our Lord frequently related believers to children, particularly in regard to faith. In Matthew 18:3, He says "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." In Mark 10:15, in an incident also reported in Matthew 19 and Luke 18, Jesus says "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
The army of Israel was trained and practiced when it faced the Philistines at the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17). Saul's soldiers were filled with the human wisdom of experience and common sense, and confronted by the superior forces of the opposing armies and their champion, refused to face what their training told them would be sure defeat. Then onto the battlefield strode a mere youth, untrained as a soldier, unarmed except for something little more than a child's toy - and an unshakable confidence. Saul, perhaps amused, tried to talk the boy out of his foolishness: "You are not able to go against this Philistine and fight with him; for you are a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth!" But the youngster would not change his mind; we can almost imagine him saying to the persuasive king, "Hold on!" Like a child he recounted earlier perils, stories which may have sounded to Saul like a child's exaggerations, and concluded by stating "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!"
The rest of the story is familiar to us; David, by the grace of God, did indeed defeat Goliath, and went on in time to lead Israel as both its greatest and its most godly king. Yet throughout his life, with only a few exceptions, David continued to demonstrate that childlike faith which assured him that, regardless of circumstances, no matter what the evidence to the contrary, God's promises were sure.
Our Catechism summarizes this childlike faith, especially in Q&A 21, where true faith is described first of all as "a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in His Word is true." How unsophisticated that must sound to those who have worked so hard to gain the 'wisdom' of the world! But, building on that foundation, the Catechism goes on to add that true faith "is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation."
With faith like that we should feel as safe as children in our father's arms. In fact, that's exactly what we are.
===========
Gary Fisher
A television network recently presented a show in which the host attempted to persuade people in all walks of life to repeat, on camera, a number of absurd assertions. While the sight of randomly chosen people agreeing to some of these notions was amusing, the implications became somewhat darker when university professors and highly placed members of government demonstrated the same willingness to affirm, in some cases strongly, the host's ridiculous statements. One elected official agreed to congratulate a large country, on camera, for supposedly moving from a 20 hour day to the "more conventional" 24 hour clock, while professors at some of North America's most respected ivy-league universities repeated, again with full knowledge they were on camera, statements condemning bear hunting on the public streets of one of the world's leading cities.
Television shows are almost always assembled from a large number of 'clips,' with errors -- and anything which does not advance the position taken by the show -- simply left out. However, as is common with some works of entertainment today, a few of these 'outtakes' were presented at the end of the show, and it was one of these outtakes which caught the eye of many viewers. In that segment, rejected from the main presentation, the host is seen working to persuade a woman to agree to a statement about the 'states' in Canada. While the woman considers the host's words, a youth standing next to her, presumably her son, visibly struggles to keep quiet. Finally the young man can stand it no longer. "Hold on," he says to the host. "Canada doesn't have states, it has provinces!"
Our Lord frequently related believers to children, particularly in regard to faith. In Matthew 18:3, He says "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." In Mark 10:15, in an incident also reported in Matthew 19 and Luke 18, Jesus says "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
The army of Israel was trained and practiced when it faced the Philistines at the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17). Saul's soldiers were filled with the human wisdom of experience and common sense, and confronted by the superior forces of the opposing armies and their champion, refused to face what their training told them would be sure defeat. Then onto the battlefield strode a mere youth, untrained as a soldier, unarmed except for something little more than a child's toy - and an unshakable confidence. Saul, perhaps amused, tried to talk the boy out of his foolishness: "You are not able to go against this Philistine and fight with him; for you are a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth!" But the youngster would not change his mind; we can almost imagine him saying to the persuasive king, "Hold on!" Like a child he recounted earlier perils, stories which may have sounded to Saul like a child's exaggerations, and concluded by stating "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!"
The rest of the story is familiar to us; David, by the grace of God, did indeed defeat Goliath, and went on in time to lead Israel as both its greatest and its most godly king. Yet throughout his life, with only a few exceptions, David continued to demonstrate that childlike faith which assured him that, regardless of circumstances, no matter what the evidence to the contrary, God's promises were sure.
Our Catechism summarizes this childlike faith, especially in Q&A 21, where true faith is described first of all as "a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in His Word is true." How unsophisticated that must sound to those who have worked so hard to gain the 'wisdom' of the world! But, building on that foundation, the Catechism goes on to add that true faith "is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation."
With faith like that we should feel as safe as children in our father's arms. In fact, that's exactly what we are.
===========
Gary Fisher
posted by Gary at 2:01 PM
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