“Careful the things you say, Children will listen. Careful the things you do, Children will see And learn, Children may not obey But children will listen. Children will look to you For which way to turn To learn what to be Careful before you say "Listen to me." Children will listen” When Stephen Sondheim penned those words in his musical, Into the Woods, he was attempting to define the framework of our learning- our parents, teachers, mentors, and other socio-economical structures whereby children are apt to listen. Even though they may not always do what we say they do listen. We did. There were those things, consciously and unconsciously that our parents, and environments communicated to us about people, places and things. And those learnings shaped our points of references that we use to make quick decisions about people and whether they are friend or foe. We called those our unconscious biases and some were based on fact but others were just based on hearsay. They were subtle but effective and the problem is that a great deal of the hearsay has been interpreted as actual facts.
Think about it, you may have heard it said often of football athletes that they may be just dumb jocks or how blonds may have more fun but they are not the most intelligent people in the world thus- dumb blonds.
Or, you may have heard it said that girls are not as proficient in math as boys. Or, men are just better leaders and all young women want to get marry and have babies someday.
Or you heard it said all black men are all good athletes and black women are just “angry.”
Or you heard it said that the Irish tend to be over drinkers while the Italians are either, loud, connected with the mob, and talk with their hands.
Those are some of the things that we’ve heard people say and the mass media exploit. And for some of us, we have used those sayings as our points of references when we meet new people or find ourselves in unfamiliar situations. And that’s where we tend to walk on the thin ice of stereotypes, racism and sexism: basing our perceptions of what we have heard others say.
Jesus deals with the hearsay of his day. And although some of it was based on fact, others were based on hearsay of what it meant to be children of God. He explains to all of us that being true children of God extended beyond just simply following the prescribed “thou shall not” law Moses but practicing its intent which is loving God with all our heart mind and soul and loving our neighbors and we love ourselves. Being God’s children was not just the outward expression of obedience but an inward expression of God’s grace and mercy in our lives. To be God’s children one had to do more than just keep the rules but you had to have compassion for those who may mistreat you, misuse you, and abuse you.
It was more than just keeping a list of rules. Just because you haven’t killed someone, doesn’t mean that you did not want to. Just because you haven’t stolen doesn’t mean that you did not covet the things of your neighbors. Just because you haven’t divorce your spouse doesn’t mean that you are in a happy healthy relationship. Sin was sin and the only prescriptive medicine was to address the conditions of the human heart. It was imperfect and Jesus wanted his followers to be perfect. Otherwise, they would be no better than anyone else. Unless they strived for perfection then they would be like students were only barely getting a passing grade but not excelling in the knowledge he was imparting. If you were to call yourself a child of God, then you would have to be perfect. Anything less did not make the grade. Come on now. Think about it. No one would want a doctor who just got C and D’s and barely passing the medical boards operating on them. No one would want a lawyer who just went through Law school just receiving C’s and barely passing the law exam handling their legal case. And yet, we have individuals going through God’s kingdom calling themselves Christians and they are barely getting a passing grade. No wonder the world has a perverted view of Christianity and God’s church. No wonder millennials and generation Xers are falling away because those who have been practicing this thing call Christianity have flunking one of its major courses. Jesus tells us that we have to be better and do better. 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Now you’ve heard it said, that no one is perfect. Then how can we be perfect if no one is perfect? How can we take the high road to righteous when all others are dwelling in the valley of negativity? If Jesus even refused to allow others to call him good because no one was good but the father in heaven, then how could we excel. But, the gospel tells us that the answer lies in love. We are perfected when we learn how to love each other. And for Jesus, these goes fall beyond than just saying you love others, but it is predicated in the actions of how we treat each other. Our perfection develops through our love for each other and God. The apostle John says that “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12, NRSV)
You heard it said that it is impossible to love everybody and there are just some people you can’t love but Jesus says that love begins with an act of forgiveness. But the gospel says that you can’t love others unless you are willing to forgive them as well. Children of God can forgive those who do you wrong and love those don’t love you. When they hate, we are to love. When they strike, we are to turn and pray for them. Yes, seventy times seven, we are to take the high road when they go low. We are to forgive. And our forgiveness of our enemies is contingent upon an attitude of love. “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.” We must take on an attitude to love them by doing them some good. Do that which is good for your enemies. Martin Luther King once said that “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
You’ve heard it said that charity begins at home but the gospel says that the children of God who are those who freely give to others. "Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you." And Children of God are always willing to give because they know the value of sacrifice. And God will not ask us to give what we do not have but the Lord will have us to trust him as we place it into his hands. Moses was asked to give his walking stick. God use it to lead a nation to freedom. Rahab gave a corner of her roof to hide the spies. God used the spies to help bring down the walls down the walls of Jericho. David gave his sling shot. God use that slingshot to bring down mighty Goliath. The young boy gave his five loaves and two small fish. Jesus used those loaves and fish to feed a multitude of five thousand. A child of God knows the benefits of giving. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.(Luke 6:38)
You heard it said that we are not to talk to strangers but children of God are to welcome the stranger. The Gospel says, 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? We are to do more and welcome the stranger. It’s not by coincidence but it is intentional. Hospitality is intentional, not coincidental. Jesus was intentional with those he reached and welcome. He was intentional about reaching the Israelites, as he told the Canaanite woman-it is not right to take bread intended for the children and give it to dogs. He was intentional about reaching the Samaritans the gospel of John tells us he must need to go through Samaria. He was intentional about his disciples- when he said, I chose you. We have to be intentional about reaching strangers. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. Children of God open their doors to strangers.
And I don’t know about you but when I stand before the Lord on the great judgment day, I want to be able to say that I forgave my enemies, that I gave everything I had, and I was hospitable to strangers. Erma Bombeck once said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.” When we are willing to demonstrate our love through forgiveness, charitable giving and opening our doors to strangers then we will be able to be the children of God that Jesus desires us to be. And that’s good news because as children, we will prosper and flourish even when the world around us is in turmoil. Jesus says that God allows his sun to appear on evil and good as well as his rain. However evil and good will respond differently to those challenges. Evil will wither, burn and die in his sun. Evil will drown in the floods of the rain. The efforts that they have built by their human hands will wash away. But the children of God who have built their lives on the one foundation of Christ will withstand the rains and the flood. Why? Because you will have developed the coping mechanisms for trials and tribulations. Because you have withstood human persecution and ridicule, when God brings judgement on the damned, you will be equipped to with stand that as well.
So I say children of God in the words of that familiar spiritual,
Walk together children
Don' you get weary
Walk together children
Don't you get weary
Oh, talk together children
Don't you get weary
There's a great camp meeting in the promised land
