Wise Infants
Wise Infants
Rev. David Baak Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Opening Sentences:
July 6, 2014 (Matthew 19.13-15)
13
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; 14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. Scripture:
(Matthew 11.16-30)
16
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 25
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ----------I attended a performance of Shakespeare’s King Lear the other evening. Those of you who know that play know just how profound and intense—and bleak—it is; it’s an example of great classic English literature. I’m not going to try to summarize it—but listen to these program notes: King Lear documents not only the breakdown of an old king and the destruction of two families, but that of an entire country – and by extension, the society we live in today. The play was written in tough times [1606], with growing religious tensions, rapid economic changes that drove extreme income disparity, great divisions between king and parliament…. There are many similarities to the world we live in today.1 Matthew wrote his gospel in some tough times with many similarities to the world we live in today and the fact that it is relevant for us lies in the power and the inspiration of scripture. It is more than great literature—it carries with it a universal message that is meaningful to our faith-life today. Matthew’s community was somewhere close to Jerusalem, where the Jewish followers of Jesus were Antoni Cimolino, “A Family to Which We All Belong,” Stratford Festival program notes on Shakespeare’s King Lear (2014) p. 11.
1
Because sermons are prepared with an emphasis on verbal presentation, the written accounts may occasionally stray from proper grammar and punctuation.
Wise Infants concentrated, some time late in the first century—into the church’s second or third generation. That was a time of increasing pressure—persecution from the outside and tension inside, coming both from the conservative Jewish community and also from the gentile community that was rapidly expanding the church. The conservatives wanted their religion of the synagogue to continue; the views of the progressives pushed everyone beyond the old boundaries, into the unknown. And the last saying here is unique to Matthew. Since it does not appear anywhere else in the gospels, we can assume that it was very important to Matthew and his community. And further, it is among the best known sayings in all of scripture—we also understand it to be a very important statement about our faith, for us, in this generation. “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” But, Matthew begins this section with a question. To what will I compare this generation? It is a thoughtprovoking question for any generation. Matthew tells us that Jesus asks it of his generation in the context of disappointment, exhaustion and rejection. Matthew places this question following the return of the disciples from their mission trip—one that we know from other passages was not all that easy or successful. At the beginning of the chapter it is John the Baptist himself who is in prison and soon to be executed by King Herod who sends his followers to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or do we look for another?” Jesus’ own ministry in Galilee was also difficult—in Nazareth his home town they tried to stone him, and in verses also in this chapter, he gets so upset, that he condemns the cities he has visited, even Capernaum—the city where he lived and where his ministry was based—because they would not repent. He says to all of them: “You are whining like children who are playing in the marketplace and who are just being ornery. One group says we’ll play “wedding so you can dance,” and the other group says, “We don’t want to.” And so they say, “Let’s play funeral so you can cry.” And the others whine, “We don’t want to.” Jesus says, “You, this generation, you are never satisfied. John came neither eating or drinking and you said that ‘he has a demon—he’s crazy.’” “And I, the Son of Man came, delighting in dinner parties and you say ‘you are a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of the worst people—the tax collectors and sinners.’” “You are so dissatisfied and unhappy that you don’t even recognize what you want or what’s good for you.” It’s not difficult for us to apply this to Matthew’s generation—people of that first century church were separated by religious views and political polarization and oppression. But, do we dare reflect on what the answer is, should we have Jesus asking the question of our generation? We, who are often selfish and scared that we never have enough—at least not as much as our neighbor? Or, afraid of each other so that we pull back into isolation—from international refugees or from a stranger moving into the house next door? Exhausted by trying to keep up or to look good—whether at work or trying to get into college? We get polarized and adversarial and inconsistent over every little thing; often including among us within the community of faith—arguing with each other just because one doesn’t like the other’s suggestion. Over-tired and feeling sick and feeling sorry for ourselves. Exhausted. Are we not kind of like children playing in the marketplace who are tired and grouchy and have missed their bedtime? But, into that, our reality, Jesus says—and indeed, to us: “28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” How do we get from one to the other? How do we bring rest into our reality? And, what does “rest” mean, for us? How do we really get in touch with this 1st century teacher when we cannot see or hear or touch him and only have his promise that his spirit will live in us and guide us?
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Page 2 of 4
July 6, 2014
Wise Infants Most all of us know the invitation well: “Come to me all you who are weary…”—we use it a lot in songs and memorial services—and communion liturgies—and, because it is so well known, my guess is that most of us have our own understanding of it and, my guess is, that most of the time we “spiritualize it.” We put this on the “Faith List;” we see it as a matter of ultimate rest or reward or comfort. But just believing this doesn’t often lift the fatigue or anxiety we have over our financial burdens. Such a rest doesn’t remove the insecurity we experience from harassment at work; or the loneliness and distance we feel when a relationship is broken. And it gets even more complicated when the “rest” to which Jesus invites us is to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus says that wisdom is vindicated by her deeds; that actions speak louder than words. So something very physical is promised here, in addition to the soothing of our souls. This “rest” should go on a “Justice List,” too. As he said to John’s disciples: “Look at what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them and blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” The key to understanding this, it seems to me, is in the image of “the wise infants.” “… you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” In the first century the “wise and intelligent” were those who were educated. They were the scribes and the Pharisees and the leaders of the temple and they were the ones who most resisted Jesus’ message and actions— and not just the miracles, but his breaking the Sabbath laws; or having dinner with so-called sinners; or supporting those on the margins of their society and recognizing their dignity and status and voice. And the infants should not be confused with the children in the marketplace. For Jesus, according to educator Lance Pape: …spiritual “infants,” [are] the least theologically sophisticated people, those with the fewest illusions about their own powers of understanding, who know how to receive Jesus in humility and so gain access to the one he came to reveal.2 Infants serve as a metaphor for the lowly in general and “those who follow Jesus in particular…”3 Infants look at everything with awe; and they are filled with wonder. They may be unsophisticated, but only because they are open to receiving everything without judgment. They are willing to learn. We’ve had two different images of a yoke, last week and today; for Jeremiah and Hananiah—it was a sign of oppression. But also, for the ancient Jews, the “yoke” was a metaphor for teaching. The oxen team yoke was put over the neck of two animals…one that was experienced in pulling the load and the other new to the task. And because the yoke was sturdy, the experienced animal pulled and guided the other animal until it learned how to work together to make it easier for both. The yoke that is easy and the burden that is light is not about getting out of physical work or enjoying spiritual eternal relaxation—this “rest” is about acting together to make the work experience one of cooperation and satisfaction—this is about our witness and service of faith bringing us rest that gives us strength and perspective to live with the rest of our reality. There is “rest” in doing justice and the “wise Lance Pape in Feasting on the Word, Year A Vol 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., (Louisville, Westminster John Knox, 2011) p. 217
2
Eugene Eung-Chun Park in Feasting on the Word, Year A Vol 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., (Louisville, Westminster John Knox, 2011) p. 217
3
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Page 3 of 4
July 6, 2014
Wise Infants infant” understands that, and is open to being taught, rather than to resist the call to be part of bringing in the kingdom. Pape concludes: [the] easy yoke means having something to do: a purpose that demands your all and summons forth your best. It means work that is motivated by a passionate desire to see God’s kingdom realized. It means work toward a certain future in which all of God’s dreams will finally come true.4 “On earth,” in justice, in our acts of witness and service, “as it is,” ultimately, “in heaven”—and we are called to bring that rest to others. I think that is where the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper comes in. The sacrament is one of the means of teaching each other the power of the “rest” that God promises us through Christ—the “rest” that we experience together in this congregational community and to which we are called every day of our lives; the rest we experience together both here in worship and every day; it is rest that gives us energy and mutual reinforcement for the times when life is hardest. One of the most profound ways in which we understand this, I think, is when we are troubled and we are offered and we receive the comfort and rest of Christ through each other. We often say to each other, “As you walk through this difficult time, may you feel God’s hand in yours through the touch and presence and assistance of your family and friends.” And thus, wisdom is “vindicated by her deeds”—our actions really do demonstrate Christ’s rest. The sacrament is a reminder of the truth of Jesus’ words—to his generation and to ours, especially when we allow ourselves to be as open as infants. In the name of God: Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit.
4
Pape, p. 217
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Page 4 of 4
July 6, 2014
Rev. David Baak Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Opening Sentences:
July 6, 2014 (Matthew 19.13-15)
13
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; 14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. Scripture:
(Matthew 11.16-30)
16
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 25
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ----------I attended a performance of Shakespeare’s King Lear the other evening. Those of you who know that play know just how profound and intense—and bleak—it is; it’s an example of great classic English literature. I’m not going to try to summarize it—but listen to these program notes: King Lear documents not only the breakdown of an old king and the destruction of two families, but that of an entire country – and by extension, the society we live in today. The play was written in tough times [1606], with growing religious tensions, rapid economic changes that drove extreme income disparity, great divisions between king and parliament…. There are many similarities to the world we live in today.1 Matthew wrote his gospel in some tough times with many similarities to the world we live in today and the fact that it is relevant for us lies in the power and the inspiration of scripture. It is more than great literature—it carries with it a universal message that is meaningful to our faith-life today. Matthew’s community was somewhere close to Jerusalem, where the Jewish followers of Jesus were Antoni Cimolino, “A Family to Which We All Belong,” Stratford Festival program notes on Shakespeare’s King Lear (2014) p. 11.
1
Because sermons are prepared with an emphasis on verbal presentation, the written accounts may occasionally stray from proper grammar and punctuation.
Wise Infants concentrated, some time late in the first century—into the church’s second or third generation. That was a time of increasing pressure—persecution from the outside and tension inside, coming both from the conservative Jewish community and also from the gentile community that was rapidly expanding the church. The conservatives wanted their religion of the synagogue to continue; the views of the progressives pushed everyone beyond the old boundaries, into the unknown. And the last saying here is unique to Matthew. Since it does not appear anywhere else in the gospels, we can assume that it was very important to Matthew and his community. And further, it is among the best known sayings in all of scripture—we also understand it to be a very important statement about our faith, for us, in this generation. “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” But, Matthew begins this section with a question. To what will I compare this generation? It is a thoughtprovoking question for any generation. Matthew tells us that Jesus asks it of his generation in the context of disappointment, exhaustion and rejection. Matthew places this question following the return of the disciples from their mission trip—one that we know from other passages was not all that easy or successful. At the beginning of the chapter it is John the Baptist himself who is in prison and soon to be executed by King Herod who sends his followers to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or do we look for another?” Jesus’ own ministry in Galilee was also difficult—in Nazareth his home town they tried to stone him, and in verses also in this chapter, he gets so upset, that he condemns the cities he has visited, even Capernaum—the city where he lived and where his ministry was based—because they would not repent. He says to all of them: “You are whining like children who are playing in the marketplace and who are just being ornery. One group says we’ll play “wedding so you can dance,” and the other group says, “We don’t want to.” And so they say, “Let’s play funeral so you can cry.” And the others whine, “We don’t want to.” Jesus says, “You, this generation, you are never satisfied. John came neither eating or drinking and you said that ‘he has a demon—he’s crazy.’” “And I, the Son of Man came, delighting in dinner parties and you say ‘you are a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of the worst people—the tax collectors and sinners.’” “You are so dissatisfied and unhappy that you don’t even recognize what you want or what’s good for you.” It’s not difficult for us to apply this to Matthew’s generation—people of that first century church were separated by religious views and political polarization and oppression. But, do we dare reflect on what the answer is, should we have Jesus asking the question of our generation? We, who are often selfish and scared that we never have enough—at least not as much as our neighbor? Or, afraid of each other so that we pull back into isolation—from international refugees or from a stranger moving into the house next door? Exhausted by trying to keep up or to look good—whether at work or trying to get into college? We get polarized and adversarial and inconsistent over every little thing; often including among us within the community of faith—arguing with each other just because one doesn’t like the other’s suggestion. Over-tired and feeling sick and feeling sorry for ourselves. Exhausted. Are we not kind of like children playing in the marketplace who are tired and grouchy and have missed their bedtime? But, into that, our reality, Jesus says—and indeed, to us: “28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” How do we get from one to the other? How do we bring rest into our reality? And, what does “rest” mean, for us? How do we really get in touch with this 1st century teacher when we cannot see or hear or touch him and only have his promise that his spirit will live in us and guide us?
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Page 2 of 4
July 6, 2014
Wise Infants Most all of us know the invitation well: “Come to me all you who are weary…”—we use it a lot in songs and memorial services—and communion liturgies—and, because it is so well known, my guess is that most of us have our own understanding of it and, my guess is, that most of the time we “spiritualize it.” We put this on the “Faith List;” we see it as a matter of ultimate rest or reward or comfort. But just believing this doesn’t often lift the fatigue or anxiety we have over our financial burdens. Such a rest doesn’t remove the insecurity we experience from harassment at work; or the loneliness and distance we feel when a relationship is broken. And it gets even more complicated when the “rest” to which Jesus invites us is to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus says that wisdom is vindicated by her deeds; that actions speak louder than words. So something very physical is promised here, in addition to the soothing of our souls. This “rest” should go on a “Justice List,” too. As he said to John’s disciples: “Look at what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them and blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” The key to understanding this, it seems to me, is in the image of “the wise infants.” “… you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” In the first century the “wise and intelligent” were those who were educated. They were the scribes and the Pharisees and the leaders of the temple and they were the ones who most resisted Jesus’ message and actions— and not just the miracles, but his breaking the Sabbath laws; or having dinner with so-called sinners; or supporting those on the margins of their society and recognizing their dignity and status and voice. And the infants should not be confused with the children in the marketplace. For Jesus, according to educator Lance Pape: …spiritual “infants,” [are] the least theologically sophisticated people, those with the fewest illusions about their own powers of understanding, who know how to receive Jesus in humility and so gain access to the one he came to reveal.2 Infants serve as a metaphor for the lowly in general and “those who follow Jesus in particular…”3 Infants look at everything with awe; and they are filled with wonder. They may be unsophisticated, but only because they are open to receiving everything without judgment. They are willing to learn. We’ve had two different images of a yoke, last week and today; for Jeremiah and Hananiah—it was a sign of oppression. But also, for the ancient Jews, the “yoke” was a metaphor for teaching. The oxen team yoke was put over the neck of two animals…one that was experienced in pulling the load and the other new to the task. And because the yoke was sturdy, the experienced animal pulled and guided the other animal until it learned how to work together to make it easier for both. The yoke that is easy and the burden that is light is not about getting out of physical work or enjoying spiritual eternal relaxation—this “rest” is about acting together to make the work experience one of cooperation and satisfaction—this is about our witness and service of faith bringing us rest that gives us strength and perspective to live with the rest of our reality. There is “rest” in doing justice and the “wise Lance Pape in Feasting on the Word, Year A Vol 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., (Louisville, Westminster John Knox, 2011) p. 217
2
Eugene Eung-Chun Park in Feasting on the Word, Year A Vol 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., (Louisville, Westminster John Knox, 2011) p. 217
3
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Page 3 of 4
July 6, 2014
Wise Infants infant” understands that, and is open to being taught, rather than to resist the call to be part of bringing in the kingdom. Pape concludes: [the] easy yoke means having something to do: a purpose that demands your all and summons forth your best. It means work that is motivated by a passionate desire to see God’s kingdom realized. It means work toward a certain future in which all of God’s dreams will finally come true.4 “On earth,” in justice, in our acts of witness and service, “as it is,” ultimately, “in heaven”—and we are called to bring that rest to others. I think that is where the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper comes in. The sacrament is one of the means of teaching each other the power of the “rest” that God promises us through Christ—the “rest” that we experience together in this congregational community and to which we are called every day of our lives; the rest we experience together both here in worship and every day; it is rest that gives us energy and mutual reinforcement for the times when life is hardest. One of the most profound ways in which we understand this, I think, is when we are troubled and we are offered and we receive the comfort and rest of Christ through each other. We often say to each other, “As you walk through this difficult time, may you feel God’s hand in yours through the touch and presence and assistance of your family and friends.” And thus, wisdom is “vindicated by her deeds”—our actions really do demonstrate Christ’s rest. The sacrament is a reminder of the truth of Jesus’ words—to his generation and to ours, especially when we allow ourselves to be as open as infants. In the name of God: Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit.
4
Pape, p. 217
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Page 4 of 4
July 6, 2014
