Blog:Salvation is for the "childlike"? Matthew 11:25: Difference between revisions
Blog:Salvation is for the "childlike"? Matthew 11:25 (view source)
Revision as of 15:32, 31 July 2024
, 31 July→Believing in God like a child Saint
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Joan was calm, reasoned, logical and dogged, outwitting the witted, twisting their logic back upon themselves, and dodging their traps. Sound familiar? | Joan was calm, reasoned, logical and dogged, outwitting the witted, twisting their logic back upon themselves, and dodging their traps. Sound familiar? | ||
The most famous | The most famous of Jean's came from the theological trap asked at her heresy trial. From an English translation of the transcript, <blockquote>On Saturday, February 24th, asked if she knows if she is in God’s grace, she answered: “If I am not, may God put me there, and if I am, may God so keep me."'''''<ref name=":0">p. 116, [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.62531/page/n133/mode/2up?q=mortal+sin The Trial Of Teanner D Arc (1931) : Barrett,w P : Internet Archive]</ref>''''' </blockquote>Her inquisitors had pursued this line of inquiry in order to trap her into admitting that she had gravely sinned, and as to if not why would she need to confess. As to that last, her answer is both clever and logically straightforward:<blockquote>Asked whether she need confess, since she believed by the revelation of her voices that she will be saved, she answers that she does not know of having committed mortal sin, but if she were in mortal sin, she thinks St. Catherine and St. Margaret would at once abandon her.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>Other retorts of equal mental acumen are reported by Twain.<ref>Twain exposes himself as an anti-Catholic protestant by ignoring Joan's most famous retort, that regarding Grace. Oh well, just a little Lutheran misunderstanding there regarding [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/5?11?1 Romans 5:1]:. If you must, here's a fairly concise review of the problem with "solo fide": [https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/is-justification-ongoing Is Justification Ongoing? | Catholic Answers Magazine]</ref> One is of an exchange with the Minister of State, La Tremouille, who argued against Joan's insistence that the initial victory at Orleans be followed up lest the English regroup. La Tremouille, angry that she was essentially ordering him around in front of the Court, accused her of discussing matters of state in public, a grave offense: <blockquote>Joan said, placidly — | ||
"I have to beg your pardon. My trespass came of ignorance. I did not know that matters connected with your department of the government were matters of state." The minister lifted his brows in amused surprise, and said, with a touch of sarcasm — | |||
"I am the King's chief minister, and yet you had the impression that matters connected with my department are not matters of state ? Pray how is that ?" | |||
Joan replied, indifferently — | |||
" Because there is no state." " No state!" "No, sir, there is no state, and no use for a minister. France is shrunk to a couple of acres of ground ; a sheriff's constable could take care of it ; its affairs are not matters of state. The term is too large."<ref>From the first edition, 1895, p. 892; [https://archive.org/details/personalrecollec00twai/page/892/mode/2up Personal recollections of Joan of Arc : Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 : Internet Archive] Note: the page numbers are from the serial publication in Harper's magazine, so do not correspond to later book editions.</ref> </blockquote>Another comes earlier, during the initial investigation into her ordered by the Dauphin (Joan refused to call him King of France until he had been crowned at Rheims, which completed her mission). A "sly Dominican," Twain writes, tested the logic that she needed an army to do God's will. <blockquote>Then answer me this. If He has willed to deliver France, and is able to do whatsoever He wills, where is the need for men-at-arms?" .... But Joan was not disturbed. There was no note of disquiet in her voice when she answered: | |||
"He helps who help themselves. The sons of France will fight the battles, but He will give the victory!"<ref>p. 458, [https://archive.org/details/personalrecollec00twai/page/458/mode/2up?view=theater Personal recollections of Joan of Arc : Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 : Internet Archive] </ref> </blockquote>The Bishop, in Twain's account, mutters, <blockquote>"By God, the child has said true. He willed that Goliath should be slain, and He sent a child like this to do it!" </blockquote>The Bishop was amazed not at her childlike argument, but that the argument came from a child -- and as with David, a child would save the nation (!). | |||
It boggles the mind -- pushes us past reason, so let's just be amazed, while learning what we can from Saint ''Jeanne la Pucelle.'' | |||
When Jesus revealed himself to the "childlike" he wasn't dumbing-down his divinity. He demands thought and reason of his followers, and then helps them to build a logic of faith (and thus chose St. Paul to argue it!). But, ''verily, verily'', as he might say, reason has its limits, and it is by the Grace of the Father that Jesus reveals himself to those willing to look beyond the limits of their comprehension and simply believe. | |||
=== What "the learned and the wise" and the childlike are and are not === | |||
I feel so much better now about Matthew 10. Indeed, I believe -- think? -- that in writing his post I have learned much while bolstering my faith. I pray so. So let us here flush out some meaning, so that we can more fully understand. | |||
The simplistic view says, that "the wise and the learned" are worldly, authoritative, educated, crafty. Yes, all those things, indeed. But it also says that the "childlike" are simple, unthoughtful, uneducated, unquestioning and meek. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
!The wise and the learned | |||
!The childlike | |||
|- | |||
|distrustful | |||
|trusting | |||
|- | |||
|insincere | |||
|honest | |||
|- | |||
|self-justified | |||
|pure | |||
|- | |||
|deceitful | |||
|candid | |||
|- | |||
|dismissive | |||
|respectful | |||
|- | |||
|doubtful | |||
|open-minded | |||
|- | |||
|tricky, deceptive | |||
|cunning without guile | |||
|- | |||
|compromised | |||
|without underlying agenda | |||
|- | |||
|closed-minded | |||
|curious | |||
|- | |||
|complicated | |||
|straight-forward | |||
|} | |||
Now, wise, learned and childlike are not incompatible qualities. But Jesus doesn't care about that - whoever we are, whatever our intellect or station, he wants us to be '''HOLY'''. To be holy, we must believe, accept and obey the Father. | |||
Absolutely, to be childlike we must be dependent, obedient, submissive-- that's the entire point! -- to the Father. | |||
For without the Father, we live under the illusions of being, | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+Without the Father | |||
!What we think we are | |||
!What we actually are | |||
|- | |||
|self-sufficient | |||
|self-centered | |||
|- | |||
|worldly | |||
|mortal | |||
|- | |||
|great | |||
|idolatrous | |||
|- | |||
|independent | |||
|orphaned | |||
|} | |||
So much to think through here. I hope this has sparked a conversation within yourself. It's one we must carry on every days, especially every day when we recite the prayer Jesus taught us simpletons: | |||
Our Father, who art in heaven, | |||
hallowed be thy name; | |||
thy kingdom come, | |||
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. | |||
Give us this day our daily bread, | |||
and forgive us our trespasses | |||
as we forgive those who trespass against us, | |||
and lead us not into temptation, | |||
but deliver us from evil. | |||
Amen. | |||
Michael, | |||
----<u>Notes</u>: | ----<u>Notes</u>: | ||
The Lord wants us to reason -- but with faith and not to blind our faith. | The Lord wants us to reason -- but with faith and not to blind our faith. | ||