SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2025 - "GENTLENESS"
March 23, 2025
Deborah Laforet
“Gentleness”
Let us pray. May the words from my lips and the meditations of my heart be guided by
your Spirit and be words of wisdom for this day. Amen.
When I was young, I always knew that I wanted to work with children. I always found it
easier to be with children than adults. When I decided on where I would go to university, it
would be to major in Child Development. I went to university, took some courses, eventually
switched my major to Education, and then, after experiencing some depression and a lack of self
confidence, I ultimately graduated with a major in History. But, I never lost that passion to work
with children.
One of the reasons I became a Diaconal Minister is because of its Education focus. I was
excited to learn there was a ministry that offered training that would support my work with
children and youth. After spending five years in Saskatchewan in a small, rural pastoral charge,
where I found ways to work with the young people of the community, I finally found a job where
my role was as a Christian educator, and where most of my time would be spent working with
children, youth, and their families. Thank you, St. Paul’s, for giving me that opportunity.
In my years as lead minister here, I have moved away from that focus, but one of the
most wonderful aspects of being in a church community, is that you get to work with all ages.
So although the focus of my ministry has changed, I still have the wonderful privilege of
connecting with young people through confirmation, youth group, summer and PA Day camps,
and even travelling with a few of them to United Church events. It’s a great part of my job.
Today’s word is gentleness and it just happens to coincide with this profound story from
the gospel of Luke. The story is nestled among several other stories and parables but specifically
is bookended by the following two stories. Just before, Jesus tells a story about a Pharisee and a
tax collector, where the Pharisee was praying and saying how he was thankful to not be like
other people, like “thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” and took pride in
fasting twice a week and giving a tenth of his income.” Then the tax collector lifts his eyes and
towards the heavens and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Jesus tells us the lesson is that
“all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
(Luke 18:10-14)
On the other side of today’s story, he tells the story of the rich man who was told the only
way into heaven is to give up all his belongings and upon hearing this walks away dejected
because it’s something he cannot do. Jesus says, “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:22-25)
Do you sense a theme? Humility, being child-like, and the ability to let go of this world’s
treasures. Let’s look at the story about the children who came to Jesus.
Raspberries are the symbol we are using today for gentleness, one of the fruits of the
Spirit, as mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Raspberries are fragile berries. Squish
them too much and they burst or become mush, but they are much loved, one of the many berries
that people will pick and make jams, jellies, pies, crumbles, put them on ice ream, cakes,
pancakes, and much more. So although raspberries are fragile and you have to be gentle with
them, they are also powerful, valuable, and treasured.
Our children are the same. Our children are born helpless, with no ability to care for
themselves. They need to be surrounded by those who will feed them, clothe them, shelter them,
clean them, and soothe them. They are born vulnerable and it is up to us to care for them.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a world where children are safe. They suffer in war and
in famine. They suffer with poverty. They suffer the abuse of parents or other caregivers. They
go hungry, lack shelter, have limited access to warm clothes or health care, and many are left
without the love they need to thrive and grow confident and assured of their own value. It’s not
only sad and tragic, but it’s harmful to our society and our world.
In our scripture verses, we read that the disciples tried to prevent people from bringing
children to Jesus, maybe because they considered children a distraction, loud, dirty, or just
inconvenient, but Jesus does not see them in this way. He says, “Let the children come to me,
and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” He doesn’t say
that children belong in the kingdom of God. He says it is to children that the kingdom of God
belongs. What does he mean?
If we don’t know, that maybe we're not paying attention. We often treat children as
empty vessels, partly becuase they are so helpless and need our constant care, which can feel
burdensome and tiring, but, as a person of faith, we believe that each child is born with a soul,
with their own spirit. If we treat children as empty vessels that only have value once they have
grown up, we will miss the wisdom they have to share now, we will miss the Spirit with which
they were born, that is so eager to be a part of this world.
It is to children that the kingdom of God belongs. What can they tell us about this
kingdom of God? What might they tell us about how we live in this world and how we can come
closer to this kingdom? What lessons might they have to teach us? We ignore these lessons at
our own peril as we fill our children with the brokeness of this world, with the hate and suffeirng,
with which we are currently fill our children. Maybe we need to stop treating them like they
have a lot to learn and face up to the fact, that we are the ones that need to learn, and that we are
the ones that need help creating a world that is filled with compassion, mercy, tenderness,
gentleness, and love.
Our last hymn this morning is a well known song in Christian circles called, Jesus Loves
Me. The more commonly known lyrics of the first verse are: Jesus loves me this I know, for the
Bible tells me so; little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.” When we sing it
today, you will notice that the last line of this stanza has changed, and I'm glad it has changed.
Our children are not weak. We were all children, and the only reason we are here today is
because we are resilient and we are strong. One of the greatest lessons our children can teach us
is that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a strength. So instead, we will sing, “little ones to him
belong, in his love we shall be strong.”
Because that’s all any of us ever need: love. Not just with words. We all need the kind of
love Jesus offered - genuine, healing, challenging, sacrificial, compassionate, and unconditional.
Imagine a world where all children receive and felt this kind of love. This is the kingdom of God
to which our children belong, and maybe, just maybe, one day, that kingdom will belong to us
too. May it be so. Amen.
Luke 18:15-17
(Introduce yourself. - Do not move or tap microphone.)
This week, we are reading from the gospel of Luke, a passage about the radical
love of children, a passage that is well loved, but seems so hard for our world to
embrace. It seems very appropriate that today we have a special group of young
dancers performing for us. After I read this passage, we will be blessed with a
performance by them. I am reading verses 15, 16, and 17, from the eighteenth
chapter of Luke.
People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them, and when the
disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. 16 But Jesus called for them
and said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as
these that the kingdom of God belongs. 17 Truly I tell you, whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”
May the Spirit guide our understanding of this sacred scripture.