Learning from Infants

There are many children in our congregation. Most of them are still fairly young, and frequently there are a number of baby carriers scattered around the room for our littlest ones. And of course we have the excitement of baby noises and children learning to worship with us. And this is all very wonderful. But Peter says that they are here and they are put into our lives to teach us. We are not merely to teach them, but they are our instructors as well. And he says that the newborns teach us something in particular. They teach us to be hungry. Newborn babies teach us to be almost constantly starving for milk. Newborns even need this milk around the clock. They don’t think that sleeping for eight hours without a snack is a good idea. And when it’s slow in coming or when they wish it was sooner, they cry. Their hearts are broken, and they speak the only way they know how to speak and they tell us that it’s all wrong, it’s all wrong. They’re hungry, they’re starving, they’re thirsty. They need milk. And rather than thinking that that is only a trying and challenging time in this new life, Peter says that we need to watch and learn. He says, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” Peter says that all of us reborn in the resurrection of Jesus, all of us reborn through the power of the Word of God in the gospel, all us are to imitate the littlest babies and starve for the milk of the word. And eight hours should seem a tediously long time to have to go without milk. Read the word, hear the word, sing the word, meditate on the word, feed on the word. Centrally, that word is the gospel, the declaration that Jesus Christ came, suffered for our sins, died, was buried, and He was raised from the dead the third day and ascended into heaven where He rules heaven earth until every enemy has been put down. Hunger and thirst for righteousness, and you will be filled. But Jesus says that if we do not become like little babies we will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.