Childlike Faith - Part 4

DAILY BYTE

The author, Frederick Beuchner, gives us a couple of further hints at the meaning of childlike, as opposed to childish, faith. The first is that children know how to accept gifts! Since they are totally dependant from birth, children can receive gifts both gladly and unselfconsciously. They have no suspicions that there may be a catch somewhere, there is no debate about whether they deserve it or not, no worries about the proper etiquette of reciprocation.

Yet we do this type of thing all the time with God’s gift of salvation. We do our best to try to earn it, to prove we deserve it. I think Beuchner puts his finger on the very crux of Jesus’ point here, because trying to earn or prove we deserve a gift is something only adults will do. It is adults, not children, who struggle to graciously receive. Perhaps then a childlike spirit is the only thing that will actually receive God’s kingdom because it takes exactly that kind of attitude to receive grace!

Trying to earn or deserve this gift only leads us down the very sorry paths of legalism, pride and self-reliance. Interestingly enough, the story directly after this one, is about a rich, young man, who struggled with these very issues. Jesus commented on his story by saying that it was harder for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for someone who “has it all” to enter God’s kingdom. When his disciples queried him as to whether under those conditions anyone had any chance at all in entering God’s kingdom, Jesus replied: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off for yourself, every chance if you trust God to do it.”

A childlike faith will not expend energy and effort trying to earn or deserve what has already been freely lavished upon us. It is clear that the wonders of God’s kingdom come to us only as a gift, and that it takes a childlike faith to receive this gift.

Beuchner’s next point follows the first one closely. It is that children know how to trust! In fact children have to be taught not to trust strangers, for distrust is against their instincts. The point is that nothing is too terrifying for a child to face up to as long as they have a trusted adult’s hand to hold. The reason this point is linked to the last, is because we need to trust in the Person who gives us the gift of the kingdom. Trust is being courageous enough to believe God can and will “pull it off” on our behalf. Trust is giving up trying to earn our way into the kingdom, and receiving it instead as a gift of grace.

So a childlike faith opens us up to the wonders and miracles of God in everyday life. A childlike faith releases us from pride and self-reliance, and a childlike faith enables us to trust that God’s generous gift of the kingdom is all we will every truly need.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Thank you O’ God for the gift of the kingdom. Help us to receive this gift of grace without trying to earn it or prove we deserve it. Keep us from childish traits of legalism, pride and self-reliance and bring us into a childlike faith brimming with trust in you for all things. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Mark 10:13-16; 23-27 (Message)

The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very centre of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

But Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult. I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom."

That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked.

Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it."