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15th
May 2005 CHILDLIKE OR CHILDISH?
Pastor Linton Smith
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CHILDLIKE
OR CHILDISH?
This morning.. Alison and I have been in Kids Alive..
answering questions.. 20 of them.. such as..
What persuaded you to go for Port Adelaide? What do you do all day? What
is Christianity? Why don’t we have a Pope? What does the new church look like?
What is it like preaching in front of everyone?
Today.. Luke 7:18-35.. and
here, too, questions are being asked.. John the Baptist asks a question.. Jesus
asks questions.. As we work our way through these questions and the answers that
are given.. we are confronted with the truth about Jesus and John the
Baptist, and given a glimpse of a huge privilege and a challenge to respond.
First
of all we are confronted with the truth about Jesus..
JESUS IS THE ONE.
John the Baptist was in prison on the other side of the
In Luke 7:20-23 we read..
When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you
to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone
else?’” At that very time Jesus
cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many
who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John
what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who
have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is
preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of
me.”
John had baptized Jesus.. had been sure Jesus was the One. But now he seems to be having doubts? Perhaps it is the isolation of the prison. Perhaps things are not moving quite as fast as he thought they would. Perhaps he had expected Jesus to have shown His hand by now.. and turned the world upside down.. set him free from prison. Whatever the reason..
John asked his question and the
answer was clear. Even as the two sent by John
were asking.. Jesus cured many of disease.. sickness.. evil spirits..
blindness.. and said, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard! The
blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
The evidence spoke for itself. Jesus is the Messiah.
He is the One.
John did the right thing.. he asked the question.. He sets a good
example for all of us.. do not deny your doubts.. face them.. ask your
questions..
And Jesus did not reject him because he asked
questions.. He said,
Blessed is the man who does not fall
away on account of me.
What a
gentle rebuke this is. John, I know what you are
going through.. I want you to come through it. That is how He relates to us..
when we have doubts.. He gently rebukes.. and encourages..
Next we are confronted with the truth
about John..
JOHN WAS MORE THAN A PROPHET.
In
Luke 7:24-28 we read.. After
John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What
did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what
did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear
expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But
what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written: ”‘I will send my messenger ahead
of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of
women there is no one greater than John..”
Jesus spoke to the crowd. Had they
heard what John’s disciples were asking.. were they beginning to think that
John was wavering? Possibly. In any case.. Jesus stands by John.. defends him.
He asks.. when you went out to John at
the
No, what you went out to see was a prophet.. and more than a prophet..
you went out to see the predicted forerunner to the
Then Jesus drives home His point,
Among those born of women there is no one greater than John.
There
is no one more privileged. He is God’s chosen forerunner.. sent to announce
the Kingdom of heaven.. He is more than a prophet!
Jesus goes on then.. to speak of an even higher
privilege..
IT IS A HUGE PRIVILEGE TO BE PART
OF THE
Jesus says.. Luke 7:28.. I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John;
yet the one who is least in the
John
was highly privileged.. believers are more highly privileged..
Jesus was underling
what a huge privilege it is to be part of the
We are familiar with privileges.. RAC..
Credit card.. shops.. health fund.. offer us privileges.. 10% off this.. 20% off
this.. Cannot keep up with them.. oh.. could have saved money on that.. slipped
my mind..
And sometimes the privileges of being part of the
There are very many.. here are just a few..
Rom 5:1..
peace with God. Rom 5:5.. God gives His Spirit to us.
Rom 7:6.. we serve in the new way of the Spirit.
Rom 8:30.. destined to be glorified.. to be raised.. made just
like Jesus!
Huge privileges.. offered to all.. but enjoyed only by some.. by those
who believe.. who trust in Jesus..
Jesus then goes on to give us a warning..
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU RESPOND!
Luke writes.. Luke 7:29-35..
(All the people, even the tax collectors, when
they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they
had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected
God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
“To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they
like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each
other: ”‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a
dirge, and you did not cry.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread
nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating
and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and “sinners.”’ But
wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
All the people.. common people.. even tax collectors.. agreed with Jesus.. but not the
Pharisees and experts in the Law. Jesus says of them..
They are like children sitting in the
market place and calling out to each other: ‘We played the flute for you, and
you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’
These people were like that! They
rejected John who came neither eating or drinking.. and Jesus who came doing
both..
They
were childish. Their pride got in the way. Who are these fellows.. we
are not going to follow them. Their love of position and power got in the
way. We are not going to let these fellows tell us what to do.
Some people in
A
challenge here.. How many times do I reject a good idea.. because.. not in my
interest.. does not flatter my ego, strengthen my position, add to my power? Jesus
comments on these people and then says..
But wisdom is proved right by her children.
He
refers to the people who do believe.. the wise.. the people who enter the
These people are not childish.. but childlike.
People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him
touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But what did Jesus
do? He called the children to Him.. and said.. in
Luke 18:17.. Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
Childlike people..
people who are like infants.. who are helpless.. who trust implicitly.. who
receive gifts readily.. enter the kingdom.
When we come to Jesus like that..
in helplessness.. with trust.. receive Him.. we discover the greatest privilege
there is.. to be part of the
When we humble ourselves.. and come to Jesus as a
little child would.. we are truly blessed!
© Pastor Linton Smith 15th May 2005
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