Jesus calls us to both proclaim the good news that he has died to pay the debt we owe God for our sins and to proclaim this good news (aka the Gospel) in a way that can be understood by everyone. One of the reasons for creating new churches is to proclaim the unchanging message of the Gospel to the changing world in which we live. One of those varying perspectives on the world that we need to bring the Gospel to is our children.
Matt, my 5 year old, had a good day yesterday. Several of the other children in his preschool class got in trouble, which in his class, as in soccer, means you get a yellow card, and if you are really bad, a red card. Apparently, it was one of those preschool days for his teacher. Matt, apparently the good example, was lauded with toys, extra recess time and high praise. He enjoyed it. Maybe a bit too much. The praise of men (or preschool teachers in this case) is a highly addictive and a very dangerous drug. Not that his teacher did anything inappropriate, she is using using the law to restrain evil behavior and encourage proper behavior (which is one of Calvin's three proper uses of the law). But what should we do with Matt?
Here is part of the conversation I had with Matt. I am hoping it helps some of you to move beyond parenting by law towards parenting by grace, the process that I am struggling to come to grips with.
Dad: Matt, what happened to the kids that got red cards?
Matt: They lost recess time.
Dad: And what happened to you when you got a green card?
Matt: I got something from the prize box.
Dad: I am really glad you got a green card from your teacher. Do you think Jesus got red cards or green cards?
Matt: I'm sure he got only green cards!
Dad: Did you know, Matt, that in God's world, both you and I got red cards from God?
Matt: (confused look).
Dad: God doesn't want you to even have mean thoughts about your sister, let alone hit her.
Matt: (horrified look).
Dad: But Jesus got a green card and gave it to you, so that even though you deserve a red card, you will get to go to God's prize box, which is life forever with God. Isn't Jesus great?
Matt: (Nod and a smile).
Life is rarely this simple. For every one time we get that far in such a conversation, we have a dozen conversations that get interrupted by a belch or my analogy breaks down or a wild younger brother that needs milk or 10,000 other problems. But my goal is to create in his mind the paradigm of grace: we are acceptable to God, not because we are good little boys, but because Jesus was good and died in our place, paying for our sin with his own blood and giving us his record of good deeds in place of our record of evil. Though Matt was good this time, he will be evil many other times. And it is critical that he knows that he will never measure up to God's standard, no matter how proud his dad is. It's also critical that he knows that when he fails, whether in some horrible way or in some more socially acceptable way, Jesus Christ has already died to pay his debt and reconcile him to God.
Matt, my 5 year old, had a good day yesterday. Several of the other children in his preschool class got in trouble, which in his class, as in soccer, means you get a yellow card, and if you are really bad, a red card. Apparently, it was one of those preschool days for his teacher. Matt, apparently the good example, was lauded with toys, extra recess time and high praise. He enjoyed it. Maybe a bit too much. The praise of men (or preschool teachers in this case) is a highly addictive and a very dangerous drug. Not that his teacher did anything inappropriate, she is using using the law to restrain evil behavior and encourage proper behavior (which is one of Calvin's three proper uses of the law). But what should we do with Matt?
Will encouraging him only support the kind of Pharisee-like behavior that Jesus says pushes you further from His Kingdom?If Jesus says that thieves and prostitutes are closer to the Kingdom than the religious, how should we support "proper behavior?"
Here is part of the conversation I had with Matt. I am hoping it helps some of you to move beyond parenting by law towards parenting by grace, the process that I am struggling to come to grips with.
Dad: Matt, what happened to the kids that got red cards?
Matt: They lost recess time.
Dad: And what happened to you when you got a green card?
Matt: I got something from the prize box.
Dad: I am really glad you got a green card from your teacher. Do you think Jesus got red cards or green cards?
Matt: I'm sure he got only green cards!
Dad: Did you know, Matt, that in God's world, both you and I got red cards from God?
Matt: (confused look).
Dad: God doesn't want you to even have mean thoughts about your sister, let alone hit her.
Matt: (horrified look).
Dad: But Jesus got a green card and gave it to you, so that even though you deserve a red card, you will get to go to God's prize box, which is life forever with God. Isn't Jesus great?
Matt: (Nod and a smile).
Life is rarely this simple. For every one time we get that far in such a conversation, we have a dozen conversations that get interrupted by a belch or my analogy breaks down or a wild younger brother that needs milk or 10,000 other problems. But my goal is to create in his mind the paradigm of grace: we are acceptable to God, not because we are good little boys, but because Jesus was good and died in our place, paying for our sin with his own blood and giving us his record of good deeds in place of our record of evil. Though Matt was good this time, he will be evil many other times. And it is critical that he knows that he will never measure up to God's standard, no matter how proud his dad is. It's also critical that he knows that when he fails, whether in some horrible way or in some more socially acceptable way, Jesus Christ has already died to pay his debt and reconcile him to God.
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