Elise M.Cormode
Life of Christ
Semester III
P.T. Butler
24 April 1992

I. WHAT CHILDLIKENESS IS

A. Childlikeness is humility, an unconcern for social status

1. This is a humility of the mind. The Greek word is papeinophrosunay from the words tapeinos, which means "low-lying" and phren which is the mind. Thus the word literally means "lowliness of the mind". Humility is an attitude.

2. Children recognize that they are helpless.

3. Christ said the greatest in the kingdom will be like these. Interestingly enough, no human system of ethics has ever considered humility a virtue. Many even consider it an evil or sin. This is a radical teaching.

4. Humility is the consciousness of what one actually is in relationship to almighty God and a willingness to take a subordinate place in order to better the welfare of others.

B. Childlikeness is openness and trust

1. Children want to learn why and what and how. They know they don;t know everything and can't control everything, and so they want to be read to, sung to, and given to. They want to see, hear, touch and learn. They want to grow up.

2. A child naturally believes that those near and dear to him will not harm or deceive him. He will take their hand and walk with them without fear.

3. Our relationship to God first and foremost, and then with our brother and sister Christians should be like that. We should believe what God tells us through the Word (cf. John 20:29). Then we should be willing to trust other Christians and live our lives so that they may trust us.

C. Childlikeness is caring

1. Children love to please others by acts of devotion and loyalty.

2. Children automatically return love for any love shown to them. A child's love is without prejudice and without reservation.

3. True greatness involves caring about people, especially insignificant people like children, because Jesus himself is concerned about them.

II. WHAT CHILDLIKENESS IS NOT

A. It is not ambition or anything based on personal merit

1. Seeking status for ourselves out of pride as an associate of the Messiah (as the disciples were doing) is not childlike

Thinking only in terms of triumph this might be understandable, but it is not what Christ wants

2. The issue is not whether there would be rank in kingdom, but the nature of and qualifications of such rank (cf. Mt 18:14).

The requisites of kingdom living are sacrifice, self-denial and persistence (Mk 9:43-49. This requires getting rid of jealousy and ill-feeling (Mk 9:50). These do not always sit well with selfish ambition

3. Man's false concepts of greatness, power, knowledge and wisdom are misplaced. Greatness is measured by God by just the opposite -- humility and service.

4. God doesn't demand perfection, but rather that we are willing to be perfected.

B. It is not childish thoughts or immaturity

1. Fascination with greatness is related to a failure to understand the Son of Man's way of suffering. The disciples dispute betrays this failure (Mk 9:33ff).

They could not grasp the implications for them.

2. To reject any friends, however uninstructed and slight in their attachment (Mk 9:38ff) is an arrogance the reveals inadequate comprehension.

C. It is not Arrogance

1. Children are simple and uncomplicated. They are unsophisticated and without guile, false facades or veneers. Children are not born hypocrites; they are taught it by adults.

2. Children are submissive and malleable; impressionable and moldable.

3. Children cannot be arrogant because they are conscious of their imperfection. They wait for correction and instruction in order to develop and "grow up".

4. Pride is the utmost evil

III. HOW A PERSON BECOMES CHILDLIKE

A. A change is required; "becoming" childlike

1. Identify yourself with those with no status

2. See how essentially precious every person is, especially little children

3. Develop a sense of wonder. Everything amazes and intrigues a child. Almost nothing bores them.

4. Develop a satisfaction with repetition. This is part of the joy of learning; part of making knowledge a part of oneself. Adults scoff at this, but the truth is you are what you repeat.

B. One must welcome and receive the children and the childlike

1. This involves receiving for Christ's sake a person with no status (Cf. Mt 18:5). This reflects a concern for neglected people. They need to be welcomed into the kingdom. A spirit that is so wrapped up in its own superiority that it is contemptuous of a little "child" is one that does not care if someone stumbles or not. Jesus said that attitude was wrong.

2. This also concerns receiving disciples that come in the name of Jesus (Mt 10:40-43). It seems an elementary principle to remember that those that are for us are not against us

3. Jesus taught his disciples that this could serve as a test of their own spiritual nature.

C. Service is also necessary for attaining childlikeness

1. This is ministering without, realizing it, to Christ himself. Tolstoy illustrated this in his story of the shoemaker Martin who was told in a dream that Christ would visit him Christmas Day. Martin waited all day for that visit which he disappointed in because he thought it never came; but during that time he had the opportunity to help several different insignificant people: a lost child, a widow woman, a beggar. It was a good thing he did, because as it turns out Christ visited him through those people

2. This involves sacrifice. It is part and parcel with humility.

3. Concern for children was not invented by the welfare state; it goes back to Jesus