Theology of a Child

Passages: Is. 25:9-26.7; Phil. 1:1-11; Lk. 9:44-50
Ընթերցուածքներ՝ Եսայ. ԻԵ 9 – ԻԶ 7; Փիլիփ. Ա 1-11; Ղկ. Թ 44-50

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

One day, a group of tourists traveling across Europe, wanted to visit historical cities and villages and they came to a village that looked like it was from a story book. The valley and lush mountains created an energy that clearly this was a special place. As the tourists, entered the village on foot, they saw a man sitting on the street corner and considering he was quite elderly, they thought he would know the people and history of this village. They asked, “good sir, were any great men born in this village?” The old man thought to himself and replied, “Nope, only babies.” Our society is obsessed with this idea of trying to define and determine who is the greatest. Who’s the greatest, Lebron or Jordan? Kane or Bedard? And while defining greatness comes in many shapes and sizes, with accolades and prestige, what makes these individuals or perhaps even us the greatest? After all, I don’t want to be a good priest, I want to be a great priest; I want to be a great husband, and father. What makes me or any of us great?

Most of us would define greatness as achieved over hard work, dedication and contribution to the respect area be that sports, music, etc. Yet, Christ in the Gospel reading today, gives us the example of a child. What makes a child great and why would Christ choose a child as an example? A child is naïve; Yes, they can be smart, but Lebron and Jordan aren’t going to be taking lessons from one. A child is inexperienced; Yes, they look at the world in a unique way but none of us are going to be taking financial advice from them. My dears, to understand where this argument even comes from, we need to also look at the first part of the reading. In vv. 44-45 we read, “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. It seems strange Jesus is telling the Disciples to listen and yet, at the same time we read they didn’t understand because it was hidden from them. How does this make sense?

My dears, when I say to parents at what age did you have “the talk” with their kids, we all understand what that means, correct? How the biology of the making of a family is neither gross, strange nor weird. And yet, if we talk to our children before they are ready, they will giggle, yell out eww! or be very confused and scandalized. This is because as we mature, we are ready to learn and understand the world around us in its fullness. It is likewise with our faith. The Disciples and we, are children of God. They were not ready for understanding what the passion and death of Jesus would mean fully. Yes, it was very important to know yet, God our Heavenly Father at the very core wants to be in Communion with us, to teach us, to embrace us as a parent embraces their child. If we, as the children, are not ready, and rush into something we are unprepared for we will fall and be hurt. So while it is important, it is far more important for us to understand that we are children and that God is our Father. That is how this all ties into one another.

My dears, the Disciples clearly understood more of Christ’s teachings than the children around them. Yet so what? So, what if we understand theology, if we understand Church history, if we understand the Bible in multiple languages, if we sing the choir, are a priest and serve on the Altar or Church committee? These are not what make us valuable. When Christ gives the example of the child, what He is teaching us that all those things society teaches us that are meaningful, valuable, what we think is perhaps important in life, those don’t matter in the eyes of God. Yes, having ambition, dedication and drive to achieve, learn, serve, and contribute is wonderful. Scriptures teach us to work hard, to serve one another. Yet, this same world will also reject us and throw us aside when we don’t fit it’s standard of greatness. This world will tell us our age, our skin color, our language, our lack of education, our inexperience of work makes us a nobody. And scripture reminds us that for God our value is in the purity, innocence and humility. As a Christian, are we first a child of God and that is why we serve the Church and each other. Yet, if there is not humility and love in us, then all we are trying to be is what we deem is a “proper Christian.” That is why St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

Do we wish to understand all theology, all the Scriptures, and to be a proper Christian? St. Evagrius Ponticus tell us, true theology, true Christianity happens when we truly pray. When we understand, “Our Father…” means we are merely a child and He is our Father. A child that is loved by God regardless of what we may or may not achieve in this world. A child that is loved by God regardless of if this world says we are nothing. A child that is loved by God regardless how many times along the way we mess up, and make mistakes. If we humble our egos, if we in saying Our Father understand “Dad, help me”, if we come to Church, attend Bible Studies, Confession and learn with a true desire not for self-justification but for transformation, for our Father’s love, then in the Kingdom of Heaven, we will be the greatest.

But I end with this warning, yes, Christ is telling us to be humble like children while at the same time reminding us, to accept others, to look at one another and see a child of God in each other. Whether we like each other or not, whether we agree with each other or not, we are children of God our Heavenly Father, in Communion through Jesus Christ our Crucified and Resurrected Lord who lifts us out of arrogance, ignorance and pride, and through the Holy Spirit, guides us in this life from the moment we are born of the Baptismal Font of the Church. For as St. John Chrysostom reminds us, we must see Christ in the beggars and prostitutes in the street, we must have love for all if we ever want to find Christ and His love and mercy in Church. My dears we are not born great, we’re born as babies, and we will always remain the children of our Heavenly Father. Therefore, approach as children, pray with innocence, love and humility and in our simple “Hayr Mer” we will have declared the greatest message of love for this entire world, Amen!