Luke 18:15 – 17 Trust, continued

Luke 18:15 – 17 Trust, continued

When I first looked at this scripture the other day I puzzled over it. It seemed a minor passage about children, babies of all people. Now I think it is key or rather I should say “trust” is key. Jesus, his entire life, his death, his preaching, and his message, is absurd by the standards of today and by the measurements of our culture. If we model ourselves on him, on his words, his deeds, we will from time to time surely be taken advantage of, misunderstood, ridiculed, overlooked, and worse – as Jesus was. Mother Teresa, one of my favorites, wrote this wonderful poem entitled “Anyway”. You may be familiar with it:

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Trust. Trust in him who came to call us and show us the way. Trust in him who sent him. Trust.