This Sunday is Mother's Day and for some it’s much like Father’s Day in the sense that it can be difficult. The parent child relationship is a dynamic that is felt both positively and negatively over the course of one’s life. Of course parenting is one of, if not the most rewarding, exhausting, joy and tear-filled relationships a human can experience on earth. Being a Mother is a sacred thing because parenting is a sacred role. Moms have the future in their hands. Discipleship training starts in th...
This Sunday is Mother's Day and for some it’s much like Father’s Day in the sense that it can be difficult. The parent child relationship is a dynamic that is felt both positively and negatively over the course of one’s life. Of course parenting is one of, if not the most rewarding, exhausting, joy and tear-filled relationships a human can experience on earth. Being a Mother is a sacred thing because parenting is a sacred role. Moms have the future in their hands. Discipleship training starts in the home and what makes it so incredibly challenging is that like us, those little creatures have their own sinful free wills! Every good parent wants to be great at helping mold their child into a well-functioning human, but for the Christian parent there is more. We want to lead our children straight into God’s kingdom. So this Sunday we turn our attention to what lies closest to a Mother’s heart - a child.
In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus speaks with his disciples about greatness. For several chapters Jesus has been proclaiming the kingdom of heaven. He’s been revealing principles and virtues that are different from this earthly kingdom in which we live. To sum it up is to say that the kingdom of heaven is pure and righteous and the kingdom of earth is corrupt and broken. One day we will experience the fullness of the heavenly kingdom when we are there, but until then we can actually bring a taste of the heavenly kingdom to the earth through our Christ-like words and actions.
As Jesus is explaining things, the disciples start to think about what it’s going to be like for them in that day. Unfortunately, their attitudes become earthly while thinking about what is heavenly. They understand that every kingdom has a king and every king has a court so each wonders, “Where will I be in that chain of command? Will Jesus select me to be his most trusted advisor? Who will be the greatest?"
Jesus’ response is shocking. He calls to himself a little kid, places him in their midst and says, “The one who displays the humility of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” What is the meaning of this? Well, a child is not worried about climbing the social ladder or befriending only those in power and influence. A toddler is not concerned about where he or she stands in the social hierarchy of humanity. They are completely unaware of these things. So if you want to be great, be little, like a child.
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