My three year old son, JP, explained the Doctrine of Recapitulation to me this evening. He didn't know what he was saying, he was just giving me his explanation of God as he understands him.
I was getting him ready for bed and he said, "Jesus made me". I wasn't going to get into the theological implications of his statement so I said, "God, the Father made you." He said, "Did Jesus help". "Yes, Jesus helped".
Then came the statement which both floored me and made me laugh hysterically. "Yes, Jesus helped. He put my head on".
Suddenly the drawing that Dr. Bonney used in my New Testament class to illustrate the Doctrine of Recapitualation crept into my mind. There were two scenes involving stick figures. The first had one headless stick figure with his head lying by his feet, to represent Adam after the fall. The second had a stick figure representing Jesus. Jesus was just finishing putting the head back on the man, representing how the Old Testament law prepared for the Sacrifice of Christ to restore our human nature.
While I know we are supposed to have the faith of a little child, I am pretty sure this wasn't what Jesus intended, but it's still pretty cool.
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5 comments:
Can you say "seminarian in 15 years?" :)
BMP
Momma can only pray!
He already runs around with a jewelery box "pyx" and pretends to give Communion to his stuffed animals and any person who will play along. Oh, and he yells at you if you don't have your hands out the right way...that is when he doesn't demand that you recieve on the tongue. :-D
Too funny. Sounds like the old "Mean Tod Brown" (GET UP! YOU'RE MAKING A SCENE!), but to the other extreme (the better extreme, that is). :-D
BMP
...only a toddler...
And I wonder sometimes, when my daughter spouts out some doctrine of faith with perfect clarity, if she DOES understand it. And then I ask myself if it matters. Maybe THAT's what "faith of a child" means. I dunno. But I'm working on it.
Loved the anecdote! :)
My daughter turned to my wife and, pointing up at the altar and crucifix, said "That's Jesus up there." To which my wife said, "Yes, Claire, it is." My daughter pondered this for a moment, then turned to my wife again - "He swinging up there."
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