Using a Child to tell childish men to grow up

Siloam

Siloam

Supporter
Even the disciples displayed the baser qualities of being a fallen being. In Matthew Ch 18, they were discussing (Arguing???) about which of them would be most honored in the coming kingdom.

Matt 18:1  At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

[NASB]

One could understand if our Lord despaired of building leadership through whom He would teach the world to serve God.
Or, He could have written fire and brimstone sermon to scorch their deserving back-sides.

But our Lord was a master of using the world around him to illustrate great truths.

Here He used a child.

Matt 18:2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,
Matt 18:3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 18:5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;
Matt 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
[NASB]

Take consider the lesson presented:
  • A good disciple comes when called.
  • A good disciple stays where the Lord places Him.
  • The Lord will honor the good disciple.
  • The Lord does not say that no one will harm the disciple
  • But the Lord does say that those that helps the disciple will be honored in turn
  • And those who hinder the disciple will experience calamity.
 
Hello Siloam;

Somehow I overlooked your thread, Using a Child to tell childish men to grow up. It reminded me of the little boy in John 6.

John 6:5-11, 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
- ESV

We normally look to grown up men and women of God to guide younger people. Jesus shows us how the Lord can use anyone no matter what age. I have had children "minister" and "grow me up" in situations. I have witnessed children ministering to their parents through pre-school, children's ministry, and youth group.

Two times in the Gospels Andrew introduced Jesus to the little boy just as he did for his younger brother Simon Peter. God used the little boy to give all he had, five loaves of bread and two fish and bless the 5000 who ate as much as they wanted.

Just as Jesus exalted the child pointing to the Kingdom of Heaven, I feel Christ's teaching of these same points applied to the disciples of the little boy.
  • A good disciple comes when called.
  • A good disciple stays where the Lord places Him.
  • The Lord will honor the good disciple.
  • The Lord does not say that no one will harm the disciple
  • But the Lord does say that those that helps the disciple will be honored in turn
  • And those who hinder the disciple will experience calamity.
God bless you, Siloam, and thank you for sharing.
 
With my interest (but little expertise) in popularizations of science, I take note of our Lord using God's world around to illustrate great truths. For example, His use of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field in Matthew 6.

Lessons are all about us if we just look and expect to see His hand!

I tend to grow frustrated by brothers who deride science and dismiss its observations just because it does not suit their fancy, or are challenged by how non-believers employ it.
 
Siloam said:
With my interest (but little expertise) in popularizations of science, I take note of our Lord using God's world around to illustrate great truths. For example, His use of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field in Matthew 6. Lessons are all about us if we just look and expect to see His hand!
I tend to grow frustrated by brothers who deride science and dismiss its observations just because it does not suit their fancy, or are challenged by how non-believers employ it.
Click to expand...

Hello Siloam;

I'm not disagreeing with you, but am trying to connect your post, the lesson of Using a Child to tell childish men to grow up, or one of the 5 points in Matthew 6, or the 5th point being Do Not Be Anxious.

I appreciate your breaking it down for my own understanding?

Your frustration "by brothers who deride science and dismiss its observations just because it does not suit their fancy, or are challenged by how non-believers employ it" are disciples who are still learning the "balance" of science, observations and Scripture by their own fancy, are not there yet in recognizing the Lord's glory.

"How non-believers employ it" only get caught up in building up their personal self esteem in empty gestures.

I get frustrated too, but have to accept and pray for the various levels we're all at, while growing in God's study.

God bless you, brother.
 
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