Home Sweet Home, Full of ‘Little Christs’ in Training

Nurturing Our Children to become ‘Little Christs.’

“Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”  (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

What does it mean to become a “little Christ,” a human version of the divine Messiah? How do we go about becoming little Christs? And how is it possible that parents can nurture their children to become little Christ’s as their little ones mature in the Faith? Parents certainly cannot assume the role of Messiah in the lives of their children, because  each Christian parent is in the same process and are little messiahs-in-training. The Hebrew Scriptures are very clear about their appointed leaders… they must be anointed. The roles of prophet, priest and king are these anointed ones, and they find their fulfillment in the Anointed One in the Gospels. This is another example of how Christianity is basically a Jewish religion. The Christian faith finds it roots in the Jewish faith. Jesus was a faithful Jew, and so much of the Jewish Bible finds its fulfillment in the Gospel story. The anointed ones in the Old Testament find their culmination in the Anointed One in the New Testament. Some examples: Elisha is anointed by Elijah to be a prophet; Aaron is anointed by Moses to be a priest; David is anointed by Samuel to be king. And Jesus is anointed by the Father to be Messiah at His baptism. Jesus became the Christ who holds all three offices together, prophet, priest and king, summed up in the one office of Messiah.

Living into the Roles of Christ. To become a little Christ, a messiah-in-training, we need to cultivate in each child the importance of representing Him, imitating him, adopting His offices of prophet, priest and king. Each follower of Jesus, both parent and child, is anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to, to some degree, fulfill human versions of those three divine offices pioneered by Christ. Each believer, young and old, has embedded within him/her the power and inclination to participant in God’s mission by living into the process of becoming a little prophet, a little priest and a little king a one matures. Believers are asked to be juniors-in-training, little versions of the Senior-in-charge. Believers are called to be servant-prophets, servant-priests, and servant-kings. Nothing more. Nothing less. Believers don’t have the authority or heavenly ability to be anything but little versions of Jesus Christ, doing much the same thing that He did on the earth.

Chutzpah. In order to truly be a little Christ, there is a character trait that needs to be nurtured in both parent and child: Chutzpah (hoots-pah), a Yiddish word that long ago entered English usage. It is from the Hebrew word, “hutspah,” which means audacious. Chutzpah is a neutral word that can be either positive or negative. Chutzpah can be righteous or unrighteous, holy or unholy. It is an idea difficult to define, so there are a lot of synonyms for it, especially in the biblical sense: spiritual audacity; brazen gall; tenacious stubbornness; headstrong persistence; outrageous guts; shameless nerve; feisty assertiveness; brazen impudence; unyielding boldness; courageous spine; expectant defiance. The Holy Scriptures, both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, are overflowing with examples of holy chutzpah. One wonders if it is actually a faith requirement for all believers. In fact, God seems to love chutzpah in us when it is based on our ultimate trust in Him and His character, our unselfish motives, our yearning for justice and mercy. Chutzpah in front of others becomes holy when it is done in obedience to the Lord and is an outworking of our faith in Him. As Rabbi Schulweiss once said, “Spiritual audacity toward God finds a place of honor in Jewish religious thought.” The rabbis of old have always insisted that chutzpah is a valid expression of faith. Just a quick glimpse at the Gospels reveals that Jesus and His followers fully embraced the ancient Jewish ethic of holy chutzpah. When Jesus saw chutzpah in action, He usually said things like, “Great is your faith!” Maybe Christian scholar Dr. Brad Young said it best. “True faith requires bold perseverance. Sometimes it is expressed by brazen impudence. Faith can be defined as chutzpah. Persevere with unyielding tenacity.” (Brad Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian). As we think of important qualities to develop with our children in the home, certainly chutzpah belongs near the very top of the list.

The Believer as a Little Prophet. God’s little prophets don’t need to foretell the future, carry out miracles, or perform healings, though that may occasionally happen. But the servant-prophet can:

1. Stand Up for Justice. Einstein once remarked that the prophetic voice in society is crucial because “the prophet has an almost fanatical love of justice.” Prophetic work in justice could include advocating for those who are being unfairly treated or taken advantage of. It could be standing up for the life of the unborn or the elderly regarding abortion or euthanasia. Or it could be rescuing those innocent ones who are accused unjustly. Justice is central to God’s character and God’s desires for humanity, and so the prophet works to make things right according to the character and will of the Lord. A little prophet may end up contradicting societal norms, a prophet may be countercultural, but that’s consistent with all prophets in Scripture. Jesus was the Big Prophet, and we follow His lead by doing His prophetic work when we see injustice. As Yahweh told the prophet Isaiah, “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17).
2. Take Special Assignments. The prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures were often called by God to be living visual aids to God’s word for the people. They simply did what God asked them to do to demonstrate or spread His word. Prophets weren’t afraid to be unconventional in their obedience. One pastor recently heard from the Lord that he should preach a sermon/day for 100 consecutive days. So he did just that, and the Spirit moved powerfully. Another pastor heard from the Lord that he should simply read the Bible through out loud on his podcast, for a full year. He did just that, and it became the #1 podcast in the country. Prophets aren’t shy about doing something different or out of the ordinary if the Lord directs things in that way. Prophets historically are not afraid to do something unconventional if that’s what’s called for. Little prophets follow in the footsteps of the Big Prophet.
3. Speak the Word. God’s Word sooner or later comes down to justice and mercy. An act of compassion is worth a hundred words. So is a gesture of comfort and hope. Mere God-talk is not necessarily speaking the Word. Reciting Scripture in an inappropriate context or for selfish reasons is not speaking the Word. Sometimes, though, when led by the Holy Spirit, speaking the Scripture is a powerful tool of God to accomplish His will. Sometimes a well-timed and apt Bible verse or story has the power of the Almighty God behind it. When the spiritual authority of the Lord is filling the Word, it is as if God Himself is in the room speaking. In fact, that’s exactly what it is. Much like the biblical prophets, the little prophets now speak the Word in Spirit and power, not to gain advantage or gain a holy reputation. “My word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. It will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11).
4. Be God’s Spokesperson. If the biblical world was a classroom, God’s prophets were the visual aids. As the Lord’s mouthpieces, they were often called upon to be symbols of His messages. Since they were instructed to be dramatic illustrations of the word of the Lord, the people not only heard the word, they literally sawthe word. So prophets were often asked to make spectacles of themselves. Sometimes they went from being mouthpieces to megaphones in their actions. They were held up for ridicule, mockery and rejection. Because prophets were obedient to a fairly unpredictable God, they were often dismissed as cranks and eccentrics and not taken seriously. Prophets were often instructed to be living object lessons, so they had to learn how to swallow their pride and embrace public humiliation. Sometimes prophets did things that should be glossed over in Sunday School if not totally ignored. At times we have to wince when we read of a prophet’s antics, and we want to file it under “Do not try this at home.” We can often take a light-hearted approach to their street theater. In such cases we can take to heart G. K. Chesterton’s words, “He who has the Faith has the fun.” But other times their performance art is not mere comic relief. It is difficult and painful and definitely not fun. All this translates into God’s biblical prophets being spiritual live wires, engaging personalities, and real characters. The biblical prophets may have struggled at times with accepting God’s instructions, but in the end they all settled into being fools for the Lord.
5. The prophet’s job is equal opportunity. Miriam is the first woman in the Hebrew Bible to be called a prophetess (Ex. 15:20). She is prominent in Jewish history, and is on the short list of the seven special women in the Jewish faith who were called prophetesses. These women are the “Holy Women to Israel”: Sarah (Genesis), Miriam (Exodus, Numbers), Deborah (Judges), Hannah (1 Samuel), Abigail (1 Samuel 25), Huldah (2 Kings), and Esther. The designated prophet in Jewish circles, whether male or female, held a unique place in the Scriptures. Prophets and prophetesses were able to receive divine revelations from the Lord regarding the future as well as the present. The prophet would speak what was on God’s mind. Prophets were also held up as role models of sanctity and intimacy with God. They set the community standards for religious faith and behavior. Rabbinic tradition holds that Miriam was at first considered a prophet because she had prophesied to her parents that they would bear the person who would deliver the Israelites from bondage. The fact that both mother and sister went to such extraordinary measures to take care of Moses suggests that they knew Moses was going to be unique, with a singular role as savior and deliverer of his people. The other reason Miriam was called a prophetess in Scripture is that she was described that way in direct connection to her role as worship leader in song at the Red Sea. Music and prophecy have always had a unique bond regarding the Lord’s revelations.

The Believer as a Little Priest. “Like living stones, you are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5). Each believer is called to be a priestly assistant as we devote ourselves to the High Priest. How can we flesh out our priesthood?

1. Be an Intercessor. If there is one word that would summarize the role of the priest, it would be intercessor. Help meet the spiritual needs of others by bringing God to them, representing the presence of God, by demonstrating God’s character to others so they know what God looks like and what kind of character God has. Help maintain God’s connection to people through Scripture, wise counsel and holy living. And then through more direct intercession, bring others to God. Let the incense burn so that the smoke and fragrance go straight to heaven in your prayers for the people you know, or don’t know. Your effectiveness in the priesthood is heavily dependent on your disciplined prayer life.
2. Offer Yourself Daily as a Living Sacrifice. Read God’s mind by studying the Bible; Minister to “one another” in God’s name; Offer up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving; Live a life of self-denial as you pick up your cross daily. “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1-2). The priests back in Moses’ system offered up lots of sacrifices that involved animals, grain, etc., but the priests following Jesus simply offer up themselves.
3. Lead the Worship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. An often overlooked and underappreciated responsibility of the priest is to lead the way into worship through singing praises, and playing instruments, and dancing in joy to the praise of God. Priests were known to sing a “weapon song” as they led the troops into battle. Consider the method of fighting by king Jehoshaphat, placing a long line of singing priests on the front lines of what looked like an impossible battle with a completely overpowering enemy. “And the prophet Jahaziel said, ‘Listen, all Judah and you citizens of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says this to you, ‘Do not be afraid, do not be daunted by this vast horde, for the war is not your affair but God’s. Go down against them tomorrow. You will not need to fight in this battle. Take up your position, stand firm, and see what salvation Yahweh has in store for you. Judah and Jerusalem! Be fearless, be dauntless; march out against them tomorrow and Yahweh will be with you.’ Then, having conferred with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed Levitical singers who were to praise Yahweh and go out ahead of the army in sacred vestments, singing, ‘Praise Yahweh, for his faithful love endures for ever!’The moment they began their shouts of praise, Yahweh sprang ambushes on all who were invading Judah, and that was the end of them.”  (2 Chronicles 18:18and 20:15-17, 22, NJB).

The Believer as a Little King: Christian believers are not the type of Little Kings that need to be in charge or sitting majestically on some throne. They don’t need to rule over other people. They don’t need to establish little kingdoms of their own in which to reign supreme. Little kings are servants of Christ the King:

1. Have dominion over the created world. Believers, and people in general, actually are intended to see nature as their domain. We are to rule over creation, establish our reign over it, subdue it and master it. What does a good master, a little king, do exactly? Be a good steward of nature, doing our best to help creation flourish. We are to take responsibility over creation and exercise the kind of power that enables nature to grow and be healthy. We are to honor God by caring effectively for His handiwork, preserving the created world for His delight. We are to enjoy a God-ordained relationship over the created world, as God spelled out in Genesis 1:26-28:“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moves on the earth.” 
2. Live as a Member of the Royal Family. Believers have been adopted into God’s family, and welcomed into spiritual royalty. So we need to live into that status, honorably, humbly, responsibly, as servants of the King. We don’t stoop to attitudes or behavior that are not worthy of Kingdom royalty. We don’t try to usurp the King in some sort of power struggle. We treat every believer as brother and sister, as members of this family, with love and respect, acknowledging together our gratitude to the King for our life-saving adoption through the mercy of the Royal Father.
3. Extend the Kingdom. We cooperate with the King in His desire to expand His kingdom. He wants ultimately for all to be adopted, and He wants us to work to that end. The King has anointed believers to tell the Good News of His reign to those who haven’t heard. When it comes to His kingdom, the King says that there’s always room for more. In fact, the King will keep filing adoption papers for all eternity if that’s what it takes.

In keeping with biblical principle, believers who are little prophets, little priests and little kings must be anointed. Jesus’ baptism paved the way for this process. Just as He was anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit at His baptism, believers, which of course include children, are likewise anointed at their baptism. Two sanctified materials are needed at a baptism to complete the anointing: water and oil. The Holy Spirit comes to the baptized, alights on them and remains as it was with Jesus Christ. Only, just because the baptized become little Christs, doesn’t mean the baptized receive a little anointing. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come in bits and pieces. The Holy Spirit isn’t dribbled, drop by drop, but instead is poured till overflowing on the newly baptized. Whenever we see the Holy Spirit being applied, He is poured:

• “...till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high.” (Isaiah 32:15);
• “Exalted to the right hand of God He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:33);
• “They were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” (Acts 10:45);
• “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5);
• “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6)

Each home then needs to welcome and experience an extravagant anointing of the Holy Spirit to produce little prophets, little priests and little kings. In all this, let us remember that there is only one Messiah. Parents are not Messiahs. Christian parents are on the same road, in the same process as their children, becoming little messiahs-in-training. Christ-centered homes are simply seeking to be filled with little Christs. Maybe our children can be called ‘little, little Christs.’