“Seeking An Infantile Faith”
Psalm 145 & Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 ~ Northwood UC ~ July 9, 2023
NASA unveiled an interesting discovery that some may have missed. NASA established radio contact with an alien civilization living on a distant planet. After initial introductions between our UN Secretary and their representatives from the planet, the aliens revealed that on their planet, there is no war, there is no hunger, and there is no disease. "That's amazing! How did you accomplish this?" our UN Secretary inquired. "Well, we couldn't have done it without help from Jesus," answered the alien representative. "Jesus came to your planet, too?" "Yes, he showed up a couple thousand years ago, and we welcomed him. He's been performing miracles on a daily basis ever since." There was a long silence, and the alien asked, "What happened when Jesus visited your planet?"
In the gospel lection from Matthew this morning, we have a confusing beginning and a heartwarming conclusion. The heartwarming ending contains words that we pack along with summer hats, sunscreen and light reading material: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ As much as we are drawn to the concluding verses, we find ourselves puzzled by the opening words of the text: Condemnation of a generation who fails to understand. Joyful music played, and there is no dancing. A dirge offered, and there are no tears. Jesus’ cousin John arrives, people diagnose him as crazy and possessed by a demon. And when the Son of Man comes, he is labelled a drunk glutton who befriends tax collectors and sinners! How do we begin to put these seemingly opposite bookends together? Well…fortunately, there is a clue. In middle, we find this section, an insight in Jesus’ prayer… “I thank you, [God], Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants…”
Revealed unto infants…Seeking an infantile faith. Summer is a perfect time to truly ponder the richness of this passage. This is a hard message to hear because we live in a world that measures success in earthly terms. We want to be among “the wise and intelligent.” We prize the self-made individual; we believe that focussed knowledge and effort are the way to growth; we become ‘better’ by repeating things until we master them; practice makes perfect; and we want to be among the “wise and intelligent” of the world, don’t we? Well…it turns out that this is not the way God works. And it is not, certainly not, the way of the infant either! There is something about the way of the infant that Jesus wants us to learn from. “I thank you, [God], Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants…” And so we consider in this summer season the wisdom of seeking an infantile faith.
Have you observed the ways of the infant? It is a way that is focussed on the moment. The focus is on the flower petal in front of her; it is on the ant in front of him; it is on the taste of the ice cream; the beauty of the picture being coloured…the focus is on the moment. How many of us become so busy and focussed on future things that we miss the precious moment of life unfolding in front of us? I suspect we all can relate to that challenge because that is what the world calls from us. The “wise and the intelligent” (as Jesus refers to them) are the ones focussed on the future: planning for that day, building for the tomorrows, practicing so that one day so you will be ready. The infant…well… she goes about things very differently.
I recall a spring day that offered some sunshine after a long stretch of rainy showers. It was a good opportunity to get outside with the kids. I was walking through the park with my children (little toddlers in those days) trying to avoid the puddles. My phone rang and I saw it was the church number. An important call, I thought, so I answered the phone. In the brief few moments that I talked, my children had stripped down to their diapers and were playing in the pools of dirty water they found in the puddles. We “wise and intelligent” ones avoid the puddles of water. They are dirty. And we certainly don’t strip down to our skivvies and play in them! The “infant” views them as an opportunity to play in the moment and find joy. Any of us who have had the opportunity to be around little ones are reminded of how much we miss because we are so consumed with the achieving, and the doing, and the worries of the future. Yet, Jesus prays: “I thank you, [God], Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants…”
So…do we end here? A summer commissioning to play in the puddles; to enjoy the flowers and sunshine; to seize every moment? Well…not exactly. Why? Because Jesus has just taken us through two chapters of the discourse on discipleship. You will recall a month back our discussion on Matthew’s presentation of the gospel in five specific discourses or sections. This is the concluding section focussing on the commissioning of the disciples. And certainly, we haven’t lost track of Jesus’ references all through the 10th chapter about the persecutions they will suffer; we haven’t forgotten Jesus’ many examples through in the 11th chapter, of how his followers will be rejected. I think what Jesus is trying to get across is that this work of following him, of discipleship, will be hard… difficult… impossible when you attempt to do it as the wise and intelligent do…by yourself! The ways of the wise and intelligent that yield the great results in the world don’t yield the same results in God’s.
You see, if we apply the ways of the world to our faith growth. If we follow the call to be self-made individuals…the ‘practice makes perfect’ model. If we believe that we can build the perfect ministry on our own; build the perfect church by ourselves; become the perfect Christian on our own, then we will FAIL. Because that is not how things work with God. That is why Jesus points to the infant. As much as we might love that Sunday school teaching: ‘this is the church, this is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people’. What we learn is that it doesn’t work until those people live each moment fully resting in God. When we are weary from the heavy burdens of life…and rest in God. When we take on the yoke of Christ and learn his ways. When we embrace the gentle humility of Christ…we find rest for our souls…we find that yoke is easy and that burden is light…for Christ walks with you!
And we know the ministry we offer is hard; the ministry we offer as the church is lifesaving! One of the great theologians of the last century, Karl Barth spoke about the work of the church saying “righteousness always requires favoring the threatened innocent, the oppressed poor, widow, orphans and aliens...God always stands unconditionally and passionately on this side and on this side alone: against the lofty and on behalf of the lowly; Against those who already enjoy right and privilege and on behalf of those who are denied and deprived of it.” And if we ever thought we could do it on our own; that we could do it alone…we find tremendous hope in this morning’s gospel passage. The needs in the world are so great; the call of the church so big…and Christ offers us the invitation to learn his humble and gentle ways, to take his yoke and find…as we do…a burden that we can handle because Christ is with us!
A new ministry we are just about to launch is in partnership with the Cloverdale Community Kitchen. Together with Cloverdale United Church, we have committed to share in the Kitchen’s feeding ministry. Starting small, we will be taking the 5th Friday – 4 times per year. A ministry that will feed about 80 friends. Assembling mid-afternoon at their kitchen to cook a healthy dinner, sitting at table to share a meal and make new friends, tidying up afterwards. We will ‘be’ the church. And we will be empowered to be the church as we are aware of Christ around and within us! His gentle humility buoying us up; his yoke something we are empowered to bear.
I wonder what burdens you might be carrying? What tasks you might be called to? Do you look at the burdens and tasks as massive and beyond you? Do you throw up your hands in defeat before even trying? Do you forget to live in the moment, as the infant does? The moment that realizes Christ is with you. His gentle, caring way is with you. His way: easy, and his burden: light.
May we live in the moment of realization that we are NEVER alone!
Amen.