Chapter 78
FAITH LIKE A CHILD
Matthew 19:13-15
Before we begin this study let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father we ask and pray that as we go through this study You would please open our eyes, our ears and hearts so we can see, hear and understand Your teaching. As this occurs please move upon us and fill us with child like faith in You, Jesus, the Spirit and Your Word.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
In a previous study, Chapter 73 titled; “To Come as a Child”, our Lord Jesus Christ taught us that unless we become as a little child we will not enter the Kingdom of God. In this instruction we were taught about the importance of humility. To refresh our memories let us read from,
[1] At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” [2] Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, [3] and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Now Jesus is also teaching us that to enter into the Kingdom of God we must have faith like a child. To see this let us read from,
Matthew 19:13-15
[13] Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. [14] But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” [15] And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
The key verse for this study is verse 14. However, to receive a clearer understanding of what Jesus is teaching us in verse 14 we must read how this encounter was recorded by Luke. To do this we go to,
Luke 18:15-17
[15] Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. [16] But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. [17] Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
To expand upon verse 17 let us read how it is translated in: “The Amplified Bible.” This is a translation that more closely reflects the meaning of the original Greek manuscript. This translation is provided below:
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the Kingdom of God as a little child [does], shall not in any way enter it (at all).”
In reflecting upon Jesus’ instruction one might ask as to: “What did Jesus mean about accepting, receiving and welcoming the Kingdom of God as a child?”
To address this question we will,
1. Review two examples of those who did receive the Kingdom of God as a child.
2. Review two examples of not receiving the Kingdom of God as a child.
3. Discover, that as adults, we are to discern or test what we hear and/or see relative to the Kingdom of God.
4. Find that even thought we are to test what we hear and see we are not to test or tempt God.
With the above introduction in mind we begin by a review of,
TWO EXAMPLES OF THE FAITH AS A CHILD
Our first example is that of,
NATHANAEL
To find out how Nathanael received the Kingdom of God we begin by reading from,
John 1:43-46
[43] The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” [46] And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Let us notice the following verses,
45 … Philip told Nathanael that he, Andrew and Peter had found the Messiah who was written about by Moses and the prophets.
46 … Nathanael questioned Philip’s claim about Jesus. However, Philip told Nathanael to go and find out for himself.
With this background let us now proceed and read what Jesus said to Nathanael and then Nathanael’s response. To do this we go to,
John 1:47-49
[47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” [48] Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” [49] Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Let us notice the following verses,
47 … Jesus told Nathanael that he was an honest and truthful man. In other words, Jesus said there was no deceit in Nathanael.
48 … Nathanael was surprised Jesus knew him. To cement Nathanael’s faith, Jesus then told him He (Jesus) saw him under the fig tree.
49 … Upon hearing what Jesus said, Nathanael acknowledged and confessed that Jesus was the “Son of God.”
Summary
Let us recall that earlier Philip testified to Nathanael that Jesus was the Messiah that Moses and the prophets wrote about. Upon hearing how Jesus knew him, Nathanael, like the faith of a child, professed his faith that Jesus was/is the Son of God. Nathanael did not test Jesus to demonstrate His divinity by asking Him to perform some supernatural sign.
Our second example is that of,
CORNELIUS AND HIS HOUSEHOLD
To find out how Cornelius and his household received the Kingdom of God we begin by reading from,
Acts 10:1-8
[1] There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, [2] a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. [3] About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” [4] And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. [5] Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. [6] He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” [7] And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. [8] So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Being a Centurion in the Italian Regiment of the Roman army, Cornelius was a gentile. Thus, he and his family were not Israelites.
2 … Cornelius and his family were devout believers in God and constantly prayed to Him.
3-6 … God sent an angel to tell Cornelius that He heard his prayers and he was to send for Peter. The angel also told Cornelius that he was to listen and do what Peter tells him.
Let us now read what Peter said to Cornelius and all those who were waiting in Cornelius’s home. To do this we go to,
Acts 10:34-38
[34] Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. [35] But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. [36] The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—[37] that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Let us notice the following verses,
34 … God shows no partiality. In other words, in God’s eyes there are no spiritual advantages or disadvantages of being or not being a descendent of Abraham.
35 … God accepts anyone who fears or recognizes Him, and does works of righteousness.
36-38 … It is interesting to note that Peter told Cornelius that he knew the message of peace through Jesus Christ and the wonderful things he did. To see this more clearly, let us read how this portion of Peter’s discourse is translated in the “New International Version (NIV)” Bible,
[36] You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. [37] You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached --- [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him.
Let us now return to Acts 10 and read from,
Acts 10:39-43
[39] And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. [40] Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, [41] not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. [42] And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. [43] To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
Let us notice the following verses,
39-41 … Peter also told Cornelius’s household that he was a witness to these things and that Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem and God raised Him from the dead. In fact, Peter said that after God raised Jesus from the dead he and the other apostles ate and drank with Him.
42 … Peter told the people that he and the other Apostle’s were commanded by God to preach and testify that Jesus was ordained by God the Father to be the Judge of the living and the dead.
43 … Finally, Peter told Cornelius and his household that all the Old Testament prophets foretold that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will receive forgiveness of their sins.
Let us now read what occurred while the Apostle Peter was speaking these things. To do this we continue our reading from,
Acts 10:44-48
[44] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. [45] And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. [46] For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, [47] “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” [48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Summary
As we reflect upon what we have just read we come to realize that while listening to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, how He was anointed and sent by God the Father and how He was the fulfillment of what was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, the household of Cornelius, with child like faith in what they heard, received the Holy Spirit. In addition, they were water baptized in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now that we explored two examples of those who received the Kingdom of God with a child like faith, let us now review,
TWO EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO DID NOT RECIEVE THE KINGDOM AS A CHILD
The first example is about,
THOSE LOOKING FOR SIGNS AND WONDERS FROM HEAVEN
This type of unbelief or lack of child like faith is revealed by some of the scribes and Pharisees. To see this let us read what they said to Jesus after He rebuked them for speaking evil of Him. To read what they said let us go to,
Matthew 12:38
[38] Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
What is interesting about the above request is that by this time in Jesus’ ministry the scribes and Pharisees surely had heard or witnessed some of wonderful works, preaching and teaching that Jesus did. To verify this let us read an account of all the things Jesus did before His famous sermon on the mountain. This encounter with the scribes and Pharisees was approximately six months after He was baptized by John the Baptist. To read what He did during this time we go to,
Matthew 4:23-25
[23] And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. [24] Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. [25] Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
With these miracles, signs and good works in mind the question arises as to: “What were the scribes and Pharisees asking Jesus to do?” The answer to this question is that they were testing or tempting Him to perform something more spectacular, such as a sign from Heaven. To see this let us read from,
Mark 8:11
[11] Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
It is noted that a sign from Heaven would be something similar to the miracle God performed by the hand of His prophet Elijah. To demonstrate or prove that He was truly God and not like the false god, Baal, God sent fire down from Heaven to consume the offering set up by Elijah. See 1 Kings 18:21-39.
Thus, we find by requesting Jesus to perform a sign from Heaven the scribes and Pharisees were testing or tempting Jesus to prove or demonstrate that He was the Son of God.
Let us now return to Matthew, chapter 12 and read Jesus’ response to their request. To do this let us now continue our reading by going to,
Matthew 12:39-42
[39] But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. [42] The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
Let us notice the following verses,
39-40 … In other words the only sign from Heaven that will be given will be Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension back into Heaven.
41-42 … Notice that the people of Nineveh believed God and repented at the preaching of Jonah, see Jonah 3:5-10. It is also noted that after the Queen of the South heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the Name of the Lord she went to him to hear his wisdom, See 1 Kings10:1-13.
Summary
As Jesus said, the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South will rise up in judgment or bear witness against those who asked or will ask Jesus for a sign from Heaven. The reason for this was that by hearing, receiving and acting upon the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, through His servant(s), the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South demonstrated the required child like faith in God. Whereas, the scribes and Pharisees, after hearing and seeing the woks and teaching of Jesus Christ, who was/is the Son of God, did not believe in Him. Instead, they tested or tempted Him to demonstrate His authority and power.
The second example of those who did not receive the Kingdom of God as a child are,
THOSE WHO ONLY LOOK OR SEEK AFTER WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE
For an example, let us read about the time when the Apostle Paul visited the Greek city of Athens. To do this we go to,
Acts 17:16-18
[16] Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. [17] Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. [18] Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.
Let us notice the following verses,
16 … The entire city was full of various idols of many false gods.
17 … Upon seeing all these idols Paul became annoyed and was stirred up to speak to the Athenians about the one true God.
18 … To provide a flavor for the type of culture or environment the Apostle Paul encountered in Athens, we will read a short description of what the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were teaching the people in that city.
According to “Webster’s New World Dictionary” an Epicurean philosopher was a person who followed and taught the philosophy of Epicurus. Epicurus’ philosophy was that the goal of man should be a life of calm pleasure regulated by morality, temperance, serenity and cultural development.
In addition, according to “Webster’s New World Dictionary” the Stoic philosopher was a member of the Greek school of philosophy founded by a man named Zeno. Zeno’s philosophy taught that all things, properties, relations, etc. are governed by natural laws. Thus, the wise man should follow virtue alone that is obtained through reason.
Let us return to Acts and read from,
Acts 17:19-21
[19] And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? [20] For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” [21] For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
Let us notice the following verses,
19-20 … After hearing Paul preach about Jesus’ resurrection and the forgiveness of sins, they brought him to the Areopagus to further explain this “new” teaching. It is noted that the Areopagus was a large outdoor theater.
21 … All the Athenians and visitors to Athens loved going to the Areopagus and spent enormous amount of time listening to and sharing new teachings and philosophies. In other words, they loved the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
Let us now read what happened after Paul presented to the people in the Areopagus the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To do this we go to,
Acts 17:32-34
[32] And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” [33] So Paul departed from among them. [34] However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Let us notice the following verses,
32 … After listening to the Gospel and the resurrection of Jesus Christ many of the listeners had enough and mocked Paul concerning the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. Some patronized Paul by saying we will get together again.
34 … However, some of the listeners believed the message, joined Paul and apparently received the Kingdom of God.
As we reflect upon the last two examples one might ask; “Does this mean we should not question the preaching or teaching we are being exposed to?” (Or) “Should we not test and further search the Scriptures to either validate or disprove what we are told and see about the Kingdom of God?” The answer to these questions is that actually, the Bible teaches us,
WE ARE TO TEST WHAT WE HEAR AND SEE
Let us recall that in the first two examples Nathanael and Cornelius knew that what they heard and saw was consistent with what was written by Moses and the prophets, see John 1:45 and Acts 10:43. This is the same for today. To see this let us read the instruction given to us in,
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [19] Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies. [21] Test all things; hold fast what is good. [22] Abstain from every form of evil.
Let us notice the following verse,
21 … We are to test what we hear and see and hold on to what is good.
22 … However, if what we hear or see is not consistent or is contrary to the Scriptures then we are to avoid or discard it.
For an example of an application of this instruction, let us read what happened after Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in Berea. To do this we go to,
Acts 17:10-12
[10] Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. [11] These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. [12] Therefore, many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … The people of Berea were considered fair minded. Why? Because they searched to Scriptures to determine whether or not what Paul had preached to them was consistent with the Word of God.
12 … Because Paul preached what was consistent with God’s Word, many believed in what he said.
Even though the Bible teaches us we are to test what we hear and see concerning spiritual things and the Kingdom of God,
WE ARE NOT TO ASK FOR SIGNS FROM HEAVEN
To see this let us read what Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees who asked Him for a sign from Heaven. This time let us read from,
Matthew 16:1-4
[1] Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. [2] He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; [3] and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. [4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Along with the scribes and Pharisees (see Matthew 12:38 and Mark 8:11), the Sadducees also tested Jesus by asking Him to give them a sign from Heaven.
2-3 … Jesus told those who were testing Him that they could discern the signs of natural things; such whether or not there would be fair or foul weather. However, they could not discern the signs of spiritual things or the signs of the times they were living in. Specifically, they could not discern that He was fulfilling all the signs Moses and the prophets wrote would occur concerning the arrival of the Messiah.
4 … Jesus stated an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.
This raises the question of; “Why did Jesus say that an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign?” The key to the answer for this question is found by reading the first two temptations Jesus endured after He was baptized by John the Baptist. To read what happened, we begin with,
THE FIRST TEMPTATION
To read what occurred we go to,
Matthew 4:1-4
[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. [3] Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” [4] But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Let us notice the following verse,
3 … Satan tried to test or temp Jesus into proving or demonstrating that He was/is the Son of God. He did this by telling Jesus that if He really was the Son of God, then command these stones to become bread.
For this study let us now move on to,
THE SECOND TEMPTATION
To read what occurred this time let us read from,
Matthew 4:5-7
[5] Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, [6] and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
[7] Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Let us notice the following verses,
6 … Again Satan tried to tempt Jesus to prove or demonstrate that He was/is the Son of God. However, this time Satan tried to use the Holy Scripture as the vehicle by which to temp Jesus into proving that He was/is the Son of God.
7 … Jesus makes it very clear that we are not to temp the Lord our God.
Consequently, when the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus for a sign from Heaven they were tempting Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God. As we see from the above two temptations, the motivation or spirit behind the challenge of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees was from the evil one. This is why Jesus told them that an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. It is the same for today.
SUMMARY
Before we close this study let us first summarize what we covered. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is for us to prayerfully read the following excerpt from Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. The passage of interest is,
1 Corinthians 1:18-21
[18] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
[20] Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? [21] For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Before we continue our summary let us notice, as we saw earlier with Nathanael, Cornelius, Nineveh and Queen Sheba, it was by, believing and accepting, God’s message, that saved them.
Let us now continue our reading and finish this summary by going to,
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
[22] For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; [23] but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, [24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
CLOSING
“What is the point?” “What is the message of all we have covered?” The answer to these questions was provided to us at the outset of this chapter. To refresh our memory let us close this study by rereading,
Luke 18:15-17
[15] Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. [16] But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. [17] Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
Shall We Pray?