Trinity 13
Today’s epistle reminds us of the great blessing that God has given us in government. As Luther points out in the catechism, government is one of those authorities that God places over us. Through these authorities, God rules over the world. He doesn’t rule us directly, but indirectly through government and also through parents, the Church, and all those He has placed over us in school and at work. What St. Paul points out in the Epistle about government in particular applies to all of God’s authorities over us: we must obey all lawful authorities/ authorities as we would God so long as what they command is not contrary to God’s will. Why does St. Paul write: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities? Answer: For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. To go against authority, is to go against God. This does not just apply to a good and fair government, but also to a corrupt and unjust government because there is no authority except from God; it’s there either by God’s blessing or by His allowance and punishment. God is a God of order; not disorder and chaos. Disorder and chaos is from the devil. And again, even if we do not like a government we obey its every command that is not contrary to God’s will—it doesn’t matter if we like it or agree with it or not—because they are there as God’s representative. St. Paul continues: whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. When St. Paul writes this and when St. Peter [1 Pt. 2.13 ff.] writes Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good, the Roman Emperor was Nero who was unstable. He persecuted the Church and at his hands both Sts. Peter and Paul met martyrdom. Even what we would think is a bad or inept government is better far than no government at all.
Just as with all of God’s commandments, there’s good reason for obeying this commandment. God doesn’t give us the commandments “just because” or He wants to load us down. But there is a reason for it. Listen to St. Paul as he writes to the bishop St. Timothy [1 Ti 2.1 ff.]: Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and reverence. Notice two things: first, the great duty, responsibility and privilege we Christians have of praying for our government and all in authority. That is most vital for our government. That’s how we can be the best and most vital citizens doing the most for our nation. Again, this was written when Nero was emperor, who certainly wasn’t in any way favorable toward the Church.
And, secondly, then, why do we pray for our government and all in authority? Not only because they are there as God’s representatives, but also that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and reverence. The Church can best do her work in quiet and peaceful times. This doesn’t mean that she can’t and doesn’t, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, do her work and do it effectively during times of tumult and confusion. It’s just more conducive when there are times of peace and stability. Luther [AE, LXVII, 348] put it this way: Thus the princes and secular government must serve to maintain peace, so that God’s Word may be taught and the people baptized, which cannot take place without peace. And that’s why we obey and pray for our government.
We see a huge contrast between today’s epistle and our text. The epistle talks about worldly government and rule; our text talks about Jesus’ kingdom, the Church. The disciples at this time still had some faulty notions about Jesus and His work and kingdom, some of these were not cleared up until Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” They were still thinking that Jesus’ kingdom would be an earthly, political kingdom; they thought it would be a visible kingdom like we normally think a kingdom to be—and not what it really is: the reign of Christ in the hearts of His dear Christians. They were jockeying for positions in what they thought would be some earthly kingdom where Israel was made great again. All the disciples were in danger of indulging in that striving for greatness and position; they had selfish interest in worldly power; and by their question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” they were accusing Jesus of favoritism. They saw the special treatment Peter, James and John got, when, for example, they got to witness the Transfiguration; they had just seen that Peter got his temple tax paid from the coin in the fish’s mouth. So who would be greater?
What a contrast between greatness in society and the worldly government and greatness in Jesus’ kingdom, the Church! Greatness in the world is measured by power and prestige, assertiveness and leadership. But what is greatness in Jesus’ kingdom, the Church? “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Not only is there no place for any idea of worldly greatness in Jesus’ kingdom, the Church, a person cannot even get in if they are filled with ideas of worldly greatness, if they are filled with notions of how great they are. Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven, turn from the ideas of greatness, earning or deserving a spot in Jesus’ kingdom, the Church, in heaven but instead be small and insignificant. By being small and insignificant in our eyes, that is how we are great in Jesus’ kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. So don’t try to be big but be small.
That being small is being like a child. And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Look at the child. Jesus called that child over and put him in the middle of that group of the disciples. That child trusted Jesus; he placed all confidence in Jesus and came right away. He wasn’t afraid of Jesus. He didn’t ask all sorts of questions. He didn’t ask what was in it for him. The child wasn’t all self-conscious. He just simply came when Jesus called him over.
That’s a beautiful picture/ description of the Christian—one who simply trusts in Jesus and comes when Jesus calls, when He calls him into His kingdom. This is nothing but faith, that trust in Jesus. Since this is what makes a person great in Jesus’ kingdom—what does that mean? –All Christians are great in the kingdom of heaven. There is no room or place for jockeying for position; we don’t have to make ourselves big and important. All that we simply do is hear Jesus and in faith come to Him. St. Mark adds a wonderful detail here: And when [Jesus] had taken [the child] in His arms… What a beautiful picture of our salvation, of our entrance into Jesus’ kingdom, the Church: Jesus calls us to Himself, embraces us, and so we are saved.
For most of us, Jesus called us to come into His kingdom at the font of Holy Baptism. There He washed away our sins, gave us His Holy Spirit and embraced us bringing us into His holy kingdom, the Church. In that faith that the Holy Spirit created in us here in baptism, we came when Jesus called us. We brought nothing in our hands; we had no feathers in our caps; we had nothing that made us worthy or deserving. Jesus, in grace, simply called us to Him and embraced us.
We do well to remember the example of the child Jesus gives us in our text and seek to imitate that child and copy the character and simplicity of children. That child simply heard Jesus’ word, trusted Jesus’ word and came. Let that child be for us an example of how to remain in the truth, how to remain in Jesus’ kingdom, the Church—the child simply believed. He didn’t bring any of his wisdom or debate; he didn’t question but believed. That’s why the child is an example of greatness in the kingdom of heaven for us. He didn’t bring his own wisdom and ask why Jesus called him. He simply believed; He simply relied on/ trusted in Jesus’ word. What a powerful example for us! As adults we have a lot that the devil, the world and our own sinful nature throws at us to create doubt and to take our eyes and attention off of Jesus’ simple word so that we don’t believe it. Often our faith is weakened by all sorts of worries or by attractions to wealth or power; often we have questions rising up in our minds that lead us to doubt.
But being a Christian, being great in the kingdom of heaven is a matter of making ourselves small and insignificant—and that includes our doubts and our worldly wisdom. The thing is, our doubts and questions/ our wisdom are not greater than the word and promise of Jesus. Sometimes we get the idea because of the way events are unfolding in our lives that God has forgotten us, that life is out of control, that “fill in the blank”… But here we make ourselves small and don’t place our thoughts and thinking above the word and promise of Jesus. Even when our reason and every fiber of our body are telling us one thing, we hold instead to the word and promise of Jesus who called us to Him and embraced us. We know in faith that He intends and works the best for us. In that simple, unquestioning trust of faith—like that child that day hearing Jesus’ call and going to Him in complete trust—we entrust ourselves to Jesus. Why, then, do we need doubt or fear? Trust in His word and promise; for our good, our Savior is guiding, correcting, and instructing us.
Our faith imitating that trust of a child does not make us stupid or stop us from thinking or using our reason. Instead, it gives form and focus to our reason. If we find our reason opposing what Jesus has said, guess which is wrong? –Our reason! Our faith gives clarity to our thoughts and what we experience and through it all helps us see our Lord’s loving embrace of us. What a blessing when we don’t try to make ourselves big but become small instead.
The other way that we are great in the kingdom of heaven by becoming small is by repentance. Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Here we see Jesus telling the disciples that even though they were penitent and believed, they still thought too much like the world around them; they still thought too much of themselves. We become small and insignificant when we recognize and confess our sins. We know all we have is from the Lord; we know we have no claim of merit; we are still sinners who need forgiveness and strength; we, in humility, depend on God’s mercy. This is why humility is the “key” to greatness before God. We empty ourselves before Him in confession, seeking and imploring His grace to us in Jesus; we see our lowly dependence on Him—like a child recognizes his complete dependence on his parents. Once we receive our Lord’s grace in the forgiveness of absolution, we think nothing of ourselves but everything of God and so we place ourselves before Him as empty containers and He fills us full with graces and gifts to love and serve Him and our neighbor. Here in this humility, simplicity, dependence and obedience we are great in the kingdom of heaven. Don’t try to be big, but small: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. INJ