Children of God
John 1:10-18
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
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The "power to become children of God." What does it mean to be a child of God? What does it mean to be a child of God when we act surprised that the world did not recognize the Word made flesh yet still cannot see or acknowledge the incarnate Word among us today: the Word incarnate who dwells within the widows, orphans, the unhoused, the ones who cannot sleep at night due to fear of drones that fly overhead dropping bombs? So, what does it mean to be a child of God today? We are children of God, we are children of God, but do we believe, do we feel, do we embrace what it means to be children of God and Word incarnate?
It may not be easy to comprehend the words of John, who writes that the world rejected the Word made flesh. "How can that be?" you may ask. But isn't there something unsettlingly familiar about the opening to the Gospel of John? How often have we driven up to an intersection or off-ramp to encounter an unhoused individual only to avoid eye contact or take off as soon as possible? How often do we let our complacency with the status quo triumph over what we know is right? The reality is that we reject the Word made flesh more often than we would like to admit as people who claim to be children of God.
I get it; life is tough right now, life has been tough for a while now, and the well of grace and love that we've been drawing from is running dry.
Though in truth we only think the well is running dry. When we believe that there is nothing left to sustain us as children of God, the grace of God miraculously appears to fill even our deepest emptiness, for as John writes, "From God's fullness, we have all received grace upon grace." Even though we have rejected the Word incarnate, there is grace. There is grace that even if today we do not acknowledge Jesus, the Word, tomorrow is another day, another opportunity because there is grace, grace that is freely given to us because, from the beginning, God has claimed us and sealed us in a love that defies all logic.
The Word became flesh to live among us, not to condemn us for our failings, not to lord over us with rod in hand, but to invite us into a new way of seeing and being. If we can believe that there is another way to live if we can believe that while today may not have gone as planned, there is a chance to try again tomorrow, to live in the heart of God, then we can stand as children of God and be bold in embracing the power, the identity given to us by this gift of grace. As children of God, we are invited into a family defined not by blood, religion, politics, or wealth but by a divine love and calling.
To live as children of God is to step into a reality shaped by the grace and truth revealed through Jesus Christ. It means recognizing the incarnate Word not only in the written Word but also in the faces of those who suffer, those who challenge us, and even those we would rather avoid. That can be difficult, but it takes courage and a willingness on our part to embody an identity that does not value the same things as the world (i.e., status, wealth, power, and influence). I believe, and perhaps you do as well, that part of the reason we gather in worship is to spur one another on, to remind each other of the grace we have received and live it outwardly.
Just as the Word made flesh made an invisible God visible to the world, we are also called to be a part of that ongoing revelation, to make God's love and grace known in tangible ways. They do not need to be big or showy acts; even the most minor acts of love and care can change the world beneath our and another's feet. In feeding others, providing places for the vulnerable to lay their head, smiling, and offering kind words, we embody the Word and make it an authentic experience. Sometimes, these acts may feel small, but they are a profound part of how we cultivate our identity as children of God when others view it as foolish, soft, or a waste of time and resources.
So friends, what does it mean for us to live as children of God today? It means embracing the identity bestowed upon us by grace and carrying it into a world that desperately needs to see and feel God’s love (especially when our world thinks of love and grace as frivolous or a sign of weakness). It also means showing up, not with every answer to every question or perfect, but authentically (as wanderers and travelers). When the well of love feels dry, we draw from the never-ending fullness of grace that Christ offers.
Living as children of God transforms how we see the world and how we live within it. It is no longer about what we can gain but how we can be part of a community that shares a kind word to a stranger, a helping hand to someone in need, or even the courage to confront systems of injustice. To be children of God means that the world can’t remain the same; it cannot remain the same. With the coming of the Word made flesh, the darkness of hate, division, and injustice cannot stand. So, let us go forth today with this truth in our hearts: we are children of God, called to share grace upon grace with fellow children of God who we encounter as the Word of God, Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us.