Simple Faith

Introduction

Childhood experiences affect our adult life. At some point in every child’s life something happens that makes them question authority or how the world works, maybe even God. Then we become adults who still ask questions. I remember watching my mother cry when John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the day she wrote Lyndon Johnson a letter after he announced that he would not seek reelection for a second full-term as president. My mother writing the president was a big deal in my mind. It was later in life that I learned that my mother wrote everyone. She was an equal opportunity writer. Some of you got a note from her and there are many who have died or moved away who got notes from her.

I also remember the day that President Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal. My mother was transfixed by the congressional hearings. Having only one television in the house I watched as well. We had different reactions to that event. She was sad. I was convinced that politicians were not worthy of trust. She expressed sorrow. I expressed indignation. I didn’t see the world as she did. She didn’t understand how I could be so cynical at 15.

Although we saw the world through a different lens, we held a common faith. It was much later in life that I learned that there had been times that she had questions about her faith and I’m grateful that we had a chance to talk about such things. I, too, have had questions about my own faith. But those times became faith producing times as well as I wrestled with my convictions and beliefs. In our text Jesus reminds us that faith requires humble trust, not all the answers.

Blessing Children

The scene is similar to the one we saw in Mark 9. There in Mark 9 a child is brought to Jesus and he declares that unless we become like a child, we will not enter in God’s kingdom. A few verses later he warns against leading a child away from God. The consequence of leading a child away from God is dire and without mercy. In our text, the disciples are refusing to allow parents to bring their children to Jesus. This is difficult for us to imagine. A parent wants their children to be blessed by this rabbi even some may believe he is the Messiah, but whatever their conviction, these parents want Jesus to touch their children. The disciples refuse.

Tradition tells us that Peter is telling the stories to Mark and he writes them down. If true, then Peter is telling Mark a story that reflects badly on all the disciples. Being a leader, Peter must have understood what he was acknowledging. The disciples were slow to understand. Mark 7 says they were dull. This story verifies that. In a house, Jesus took a child in his arms and pronounced that God is looking for childlike hearts. Jesus warned that leading a child away from God would bring you to the fires of hell. And yet, here are the disciples refusing to allow children to be with Jesus.

Verse 14, Jesus became indignant. Ticked. While the word suggests anger, the root word suggests deep grief. Anger and grief mixed. Jesus was both sad and angry. Grieving that his disciples didn’t get it and angry that they didn’t get it. In a stern voice, Jesus tells his disciples to stop keeping the children away from him. God is looking for childlike hearts. God is looking for hearts that are humble; hearts that are simple; hearts that simply trust.

Verse 15, Jesus issues yet again a stern warning. Our translations try to capture the depth of what he is saying; however, the negative is stronger than most translations. “Will never” in the NIV certainly captures the precise outcome but the words mean “by no means.” “There is no way in the world that a person will enter into God’s kingdom.” That’s definitive. It isn’t about refusing the children but refusing to become like a child will keep you from God’s kingdom. The simple trust of children is what God is looking for. God is looking for those who are willing to admit that they do not have all the answers (although they want more) but they trust Father who knows.

Application

Do you believe that gravity exists? How do you know? As an 8 year old boy I learned you cannot jump off the roof of a neighbor’s garage without hitting the ground no matter how much you want to fly. We have all seen the effects of gravity. Do you understand the nature of gravity? Did you know that falling objects on earth fall at consistent speeds? Did you know that Newton, Einstein, Cavendish, Poisson, and so many others have all spent lives calculating the physics of gravitation? Do you believe in gravity because you understand the physics of it or do you trust scientists who have come before us that they know what they are talking about? In other words, does belief in gravity require you to understand most everything before you will believe it is true? And while we are on the subject, gravity existed before Newton and others were born. The point is that the intellect required to describe gravity did not change the effect or presence of gravity. We don’t have to understand gravity to know it’s true.

Do you believe that love exists and that love has numerous layers? We know about sacrificial love and romantic love but also know that they are not the same thing. There are other types of love but these are not viewed positively—jealous love, pragmatic love, game playing love. Can you explain sacrificial love? Can you understand it sufficiently to be able to explain how a person sacrifices for another especially if the other person is a stranger? It may be easy to explain sacrifice when the person is known but a stranger, how is that possible? One step more, how do you explain sacrificial love for another person who hates you? Is it necessary for you to understand all the implications and intricacies of love before you believe it exists? We don’t have to understand the depth of love to know that we benefit.

Can you explain God? His existence? His nature? His thinking? His purposes? His character? How is it that not being able to explain all there is about God prohibits you from trusting him? We do not know all there is about gravity and love and yet we accept both. Try to operate outside the simple faith in gravity and you will die. Try to operate outside the simple faith about love and you will be lonely. Try to operate outside the simple faith of trusting God and what is left to trust? No wonder Jesus said, God is looking for humble, simple hearts to be part of his kingdom. We don’t have to understand the fullness of God’s nature or how he operates or why he loves me to know that we want to serve and follow only him.

God isn’t looking for faith that can answer all the questions, he is looking for those who trust him when all the questions are shouting for an answer and we simply, humbly, in a childlike way say “I don’t know but I trust you.” And like those children 2000 years ago, Jesus will take you into his arms and pronounce God’s blessing on and over you.

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