Little Children (1 John 3:1-3)Ā
Rev. Peter HeckertĀ
11/06/22Ā
+ Grace to you, and peace, from God our heavenly Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. + Amen.
The text for our meditation for this celebration of All Saintsā Day comes from our epistle lesson, especially where John records, āBeloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as he is.āĀ Here ends our text; my dear Christian friends ā¦
Remember when you were a kid ⦠and you hated being called a kid or ālittleā? Maybe Iām alone in this, but as a child, I did not like being thought of as a child. I wanted to be thought of as a grown-up. I wanted to enjoy the experiences of being an adult ā you know, no bed time, having dessert before dinner, being able to make my own choices and do my own thing. Setting aside that incredibly naĆÆve perception of adulthood, I didnāt realize at the time (probably for the better) that being a child isnāt actually something that one grows out of. Iām not talking about the fact that, as a son, I know that I will always be my momās and dadās little boy, whether Iām four or 34. Iām talking about the idea of being a child of the Most High God, a son of the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am His child, regardless of my age, and that leads us neatly along to our text for this celebration of All Saintsā Day.Ā
Before we get to that text, however, letās go a few verses before, to the end of 1 John 2, which sets the stage for our text. There, John writes, āAnd now, little children, abide in [the Son], so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.ā Now, fresh on the heels of Reformation Day, as Lutherans, we may balk at the phrasing there ā āeveryone who practicesĀ righteousness.ā That sounds like works righteousness to me, right? Unless, of course, we remember to whom John is writing: Christians, but Christians whom he refers to as ālittle children.ā His word choice there isnāt āteknon,ā meaning child, but that wordās diminutive form, āteknion.ā This isnāt just a child, but a little child, a toddler perhaps. And his word choice is quite intentional. A toddler isnāt capable of doing much, if anything. They are entirely dependent on those who are giving them care: feeding them, changing them, bathing them, helping them go to (and stay) asleep. They canāt do much, if anything at all ⦠and thatās how John refers to Christians ā adults, children, infants, elderly.
It is also worth mentioning that, while little children cannot do much to help themselves, they can certainly do damage to themselves and others. Thereās a reason why phrases like āchildproofingā exist. Thereās a reason that the age of toddlers is commonly referred to as the āterrible twosā or āterrible threes.ā Yes, those little tykes can be downright adorable and loving, but as every parent knows, they can also be selfish, intolerable, monstrous little dictators. To be the parent of these little ankle-biters really requires one thing: love. True, patient, self-sacrificing love. Which does segue perfectly into our text for today.Ā
āSee what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.ā Paul echoes this well in his letter to the Roman church: āGod shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.ā From the time our mothers conceive us, we stand in judgment, having inherited the original sin of our First Parents. We start off life in the womb as spiritually blind, dead, and as enemies of God. Thatās our base standing before Him. And yet, out of love, He deigns to call us His own. It takes a special kind of love to put up with the antics and rebellion of a child, and none knows this as well as our heavenly Father. ⦠But in spite of our rebellion, in spite of our sin day in and day out, we are nevertheless His children, because He has called us His children.
That may be where many of us struggle. I donāt know about all of you, but I donāt exactly feel like I fit the moniker. Iām still a rebellious brat, insistent upon my sin, shying away from the good I know I ought to do, and struggling (and more often than not losing) against the evil that I know I ought not to do. How can God look at me ⦠and call me His child? Iām not worthy.
None of us is. And yet, because God has declared it with His performative Word, it is so, all appearances notwithstanding. John puts it this way, āBeloved, we are Godās children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.ā The qualifier of being a child of God is not the outward appearance, the doing the right things and abstaining from the wrong. The qualifying factor is whether or not one places their hope, their faith, their trust in the One who bled and died for us, who rose from the dead for us, and who most certainly is returning for us. Thatās why donāt really refer to all of humanity as children of the one true God ā He made them, knit them together in their mothersā wombs, but itās those who trust His Word, who trust in the Son, that are called sons and daughters of the One True King.
And this is what we remember today, as we celebrate and give thanks to God for the lives, the example of faith, of those who have fallen asleep in Christ this past year. As children of the Most High, we trust His Word of promise that these fellow children are with Him, that they stand before the One True Kingās throne. They too are anxiously awaiting the blessed Day when Christ, our crucified and resurrected King, appears. That is the point when we will all be fully what God has declared us to be: His actual, perfect children in the new heavens and the new earth. Thatās where our hope lies, and as John said, āeveryone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself even as He is pure.ā
Even on bittersweet days like today, when we remember those who have gone before us ā whether itās been years, or within this past year, or just a few days ago ā we trust that our Kingās promises hold sure. We are His children, as are those who are standing before His throne right now, in this moment. And soon ⦠very soon ⦠we shall all see Christ as He is, singing His praises as His children forever.
+ In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. + Amen.