In what sense does Jesus call us to be “like children”? How is a child's perception of the world so different from ours? A hint of the answer can be found in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. It would seem that the Pharisee is telling the complete truth about himself. He was hardly being hypocritical when...
In what sense does Jesus call us to be “like children”? How is a child's perception of the world so different from ours? A hint of the answer can be found in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. It would seem that the Pharisee is telling the complete truth about himself. He was hardly being hypocritical when he thanked God that he was not like the tax collector standing beside him. No Pharisee would ever allow himself to commit a deliberate sin. There were exceptions, of course, but on the whole the Pharisees, as deeply and sincerely religious people, really did try to avoid every sin.
To become a publican, a tax collector, and cooperate with the Roman authorities was an obvious sin in the Pharisees' eyes. And the tax collector himself, it should be noted, has no doubt about this at all. He merely asks God to forgive the sins he has committed without even trying to justify himself. He understands no less well than the Pharisee standing beside him that apart from his sins he has nothing to present to God. The Pharisee is in a different position: he has something to say to God and something for which to thank Him. Indeed, what religious person does not thank God for the life He has given him? At least as long as that life proceeds more or less steadily, without serious crises or spiritual breakdowns.
The problem here is not what each of them has brought to God. The problem is whom the Pharisee is looking at and whom the tax collector is looking at. The Pharisee looks at himself. He lists his merits before God and admires himself. It is as though he were saying to God: look at how good You have made me! Thank You, Lord, that I have turned out so well in Your hands. And there would be nothing wrong even with such gratitude but for one thing: the Pharisee has no time to communicate with God. He is occupied with self-presentation. He is presenting himself to his God.
But God wants simple, ordinary communication. He already knows everyone; He knows that the Pharisee has succeeded in his religious life. What matters to Him is that the Pharisee should succeed equally well in his spiritual life. And for this a person must look not at himself, but at God, even if he is very religious, and perhaps especially if he is very religious. One can live a spiritual life only by keeping one's eyes fixed on God. Like the tax collector. He repents of his sins without taking his eyes off God. That is what matters most. God will do the rest. For Him there are no insurmountable sins. And this is where children find it easier than adults.
Up to a certain age, they usually pay almost no attention to themselves or to how they look in the eyes of others. They are not focused on themselves. Even if a child is a pronounced introvert, he does not look at himself. He simply lives in his inner world and looks at that inner world, not at himself. This freedom from self-absorption is the most important condition for a full spiritual life. Otherwise it is impossible to keep one's eyes fixed on God, and such a gaze is a necessary condition of salvation. Necessary and, on the whole, sufficient, for nothing is impossible to God's love.
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5:14 Warn the disorderly - Them that stand, as it were, out of their rank in the spiritual warfare. Some such were even in that church. The feeble - minded - Literally, them of little soul; such as have no spiritual courage.
5:15 See that none - Watch over both yourselves and each other.Follow that which is good - Do it resolutely and perseveringly.
5:16 Rejoice evermore - In uninterrupted happiness in God.Pray without ceasing - Which is the fruit of always rejoicing in the Lord. In everything give thanks - Which is the fruit of both the former. This is Christian perfection. Farther than this we cannot go; and we need not stop short of it. Our Lord has purchased joy, as well as righteousness, for us. It is the very design of the gospel that, being saved from guilt, we should be happy in the love of Christ. Prayer may be said to be the breath of our spiritual life. He that lives cannot possibly cease breathing. So much as we really enjoy of the presence of God, so much prayer and praise do we offer up without ceasing; else our rejoicing is but delusion. Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer: it is almost essentially connected with it.He that always prays is ever giving praise, whether in ease or pain, both for prosperity and for the greatest adversity. He blesses God for all things, looks on them as coming from him, and receives them only for his sake; not choosing nor refusing, liking nor disliking, anything, but only as it is agreeable or disagreeable to his perfect will.
5:18 For this - That you should thus rejoice, pray, give thanks. Is the will of God - Always good, always pointing at our salvation.
5:19 Quench not the Spirit - Wherever it is, it burns; it flames in holy love, in joy, prayer, thanksgiving. O quench it not, damp it not in yourself or others, either by neglecting to do good, or by doing evil!
5:20 Despise not prophesyings - That is, preaching; for the apostle is not here speaking of extraordinary gifts. It seems, one means of grace is put for all; and whoever despises any of these, under whatever pretence, will surely (though perhaps gradually and almost insensibly) quench the Spirit.
5:21 Meantime, prove all things - Which any preacher recommends. (He speaks of practice, not of doctrines.) Try every advice by the touchstone of scripture, and hold fast that which is good - Zealously, resolutely, diligently practise it, in spite of all opposition.
5:22 And be equally zealous and careful to abstain from all appearance of evil - Observe, those who "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears," under pretence of proving all things, have no countenance or excuse from this scripture.
5:23 And may the God of peace sanctify you - By the peace he works in you, which is a great means of sanctification.Wholly - The word signifies wholly and perfectly; every part and all that concerns you; all that is of or about you. And may the whole of you, the spirit and the soul and the body - Just before he said you; now he denominates them from their spiritual state.The spirit - Gal 6:8;wishing that it may be preserved whole and entire: then from their natural state, the soul and the body; (for these two make up the whole nature of man, Mat 10:28;) wishing it may be preserved blameless till the coming of Christ.To explain this a little further: of the three here mentioned, only the two last are the natural constituent parts of man. The first is adventitious, and the supernatural gift of God, to be found in Christians only. That man cannot possibly consist of three parts, appears hence: The soul is either matter or not matter: there is no medium. But if it is matter, it is part of the body: if not matter, it coincides with the Spirit.