Grace Lutheran Church Sermon The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, January 21, 2007

The Rev. Evan Gaertner

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday “Cherish the Children”

January 21, 2007 Matthew 18:1-10

Cherish comes from a word that means “to keep warm.” Picture a parent that wraps a big beach towel around a chattering teeth child that comes out of the backyard pool. Or consider a husband at a spring baseball game puts his arm around his wife and holds her tight. Cherish is an action word. The old King James Version of the Bible uses the word cherish twice in the New Testament. In Ephesians 5:29 where husbands are exhorted to cherish their wives and in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishith her children.” It is a good word to associate with children and so it is the theme for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday this Year, “Cherish the Children.” The word cherish is what we are going to associate with the good words from Matthew 18. Cherish the children means to care for them and love them in a very close, warm, and protecting way.

Who are we supposed to cherish? Who are to love and hold and protect? In the ancient world to which Jesus was speaking, children were not seen as we often see them or think of them. They were not viewed with innocence. One scholar put it this way, “The general judgment is in the main negative. The child is without understanding and self-willed. It inclines to naughtiness and needs sharp divine and human discipline.” (Concordia Journal, January 2003 page 8) In authors of the article where this is quoted, Jeff Gibss and Jeff Kloha write, “It is hard to imagine a first-century thinker stating, ‘All I ever needed to know I learned in kindergarten.’” A child in Jesus time was pictured as being unwise, unable, unequipped, and completely dependent on the actions of others to survive and thrive. The image of child can become to represent anyone who is vulnerable and in need. A child is anyone who needs to be cherished. Jesus said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

The disciples had asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus did not point out someone of notable good works or to one of the disciples, though they may have been hoping for that honor. Jesus called a child to himself and he put that child in the midst of them.

So as we consider who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven we ask ourselves, “Who are the children? Who is to be cherished?” Our starting place for cherishing the children is how much we have been cherished by our living savior. We are cherished children of God. God saw that because of our sinful nature we were unwise, unable, unequipped, and completely dependent upon Him for our salvation. So God wrapped us in the warm robe of His righteousness, a robe purchased when Jesus told the darkness of our sin upon himself on the cross. His resurrection assures us that we have a living savior who cherishes us with a warmth and protection that no darkness can overcome.

Now this living savior works in us through His Spirit to be His hands and feet to cherish other children, those vulnerable and in need. On this Sanctity of Human Life Sunday we are going to think of examples related to life issues, examples where we are given opportunities to cherish the children.

What do we see when we look at those not yet born: Possibilities on one end of the spectrum include: “product of conception” “a mistake” “unwanted” “a source of stem cells”???

Jesus sees “children” completely dependent on others. We are to cherish, welcome, defend, and speak up for them. You are children cherished by the Father and so you can be for these children and bring these children to Jesus. Jesus gives these children value because the process for redemption began when He took their place from the very beginning of life in the womb of Mary.

What do we see when we look at the frightened and despairing pregnant teen or others in a crisis pregnancy? Maybe you see “someone promiscuous” “someone who brings shame to the family” “a statistic”

Jesus sees “children” completely dependent upon others. We are to cherish her, welcome her, do whatever is necessary so that what is best for mother, child, and father is accomplished. You are children cherished by the Father! You can bring to these “children” and be for these “children” Jesus who forgives and strengthens and who calms fears as no one on earth can.

What do we see when we look at those filled with guilt and hopelessness following an abortion decision. Some may , “How could anyone do something like that,” Other may see her with anger. Jesus sees a “child” someone crushed by the weight of her sin and unable to do anything about it. We are to cherish, welcome, listen, and help them deal with this burden. We are called to cherish the children, because we ourselves have been cherished by the Father! You can bring to these “children” and be for these “children” Jesus who was crushed for all iniquities and rose again to bring an absolute, living and certain hope that we are loved in spite of our sin and never forsaken or forgotten because of our sin.

What do we see when we look at people with severe disabilities, the desperately ill, those minimally conscious and even unconscious: A burden? People lacking a quality of life? Someone of whom we say, “I wouldn’t be like that” or “She wouldn’t want to be like that?”

Jesus sees a “child” as someone dependent upon others. We are to cherish such children, welcome them, care for them, and help carry their burdens. You are children cherished by the Father. You can bring to these “children” and be for these “children” Jesus who says, “There is no infirmity or disability that can separate you from my love. There is no circumstance where I am not at work. As long as I give life I give that life meaning and purpose and am exalted through it.”

Yes these are all children we are to cherish and you can cherish them in a way no one else on the planet can cherish them because on simple, but profoundly simple, reason—Jesus Christ cherishes you.

We know who the children are that we are called to cherish and we know what it means to cherish. But why should we cherish the children? Before we allow silence and do nothing, listen to these words from the book of Proverbs, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

And also listen to Jesus words, “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me…See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My father in heaven.”

We are to cherish the children because they are precious to God. We are to cherish the children not just because they are precious, because honestly there will be moments they will not seem so precious. But because they are precious to God. We are not FOR LIFE because it’s the politically advantageous thing to do, nor because it is the economically logical thing to do or the socially smart thing to do. Nor is it because it is the right thing to do or the ethical thing to do or the moral thing to do. We are for life because it is the God thing to do. We are for Life because God is. We are for life because the children, especially those vulnerable and in need are precious to him. We have been given life and called to new life through Jesus Christ. This is a gift we cannot keep to ourselves.

Cherishing the children is not a neutral position. For if to cherish the children, to welcome the children, is to welcome Jesus, then to not cherish the children, to reject the children through our silence or inactivity is to reject and not cherish Jesus. We cannot be neutral about Jesus. That is a fence we cannot stand upon. We are not called to straddle a fence of indecision but to stand upon the rock of our salvation Jesus Christ.

Now when you get home and your neighbor asks about the sermon, don’t reply, “Our pastor told us that we are not for life, we will burn in Hell forever.” That is not the message. There is a warning in this sermon, but that’s not the message.

But this is---we have the greatest, most powerful and positive for life message that is tailor made for the children, the struggling, the hurting, the hopeless, helpless, the forgotten. Share this message and apply it to those dealing with life issues.

We share this message not because they are precious. But in fact even when we are entirely anything but precious we precious to God and so the primary message is that we are to cherish the children because they are precious to God. Everything else will flow from that. Amen

(Thank you Dr. Lamb from Lutherans for Life for the material for this sermon. Lutherans for Life is a wonderful Christian organization speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.)

Soli Deo Gloria

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