Romans 6 - Discussion with Kids
Today, for our housechurching, we studied Romans 6. This is the Chapter in which Paul discusses freedom from sin. We tied in Hebrews 6's discussion about deliberate sin and re-crucifying Christ. Then I asked the question, "Does this mean we no longer sin? Why do we sin, then?" As an example, I asked about stealing. What if we go into the store and see something we want and steal it? Does this bring us the freedom in God that Paul talks about?
Nathanael, who is nine, remembered a scenario we discussed a few days ago. We were driving home after an out-of-town dentist appointment, and I was reading one of my homework assignments for college out loud to my husband. The scenario in my Christian Education textbook described Lawrence Kohlberg and his theory on moral development through a scenario about Heinz, a hypothetical husband whose wife is dying of cancer. No treatment has worked. A scientist in their hometown developed a medication that may work. The medication costs the scientist $200.00 to make, but he sells it for $2,000. Heinz attempts to raise the money, selling and borrowing; but he is only able to raise half of the $2,000. He asks to pay the remainder of the money in payments, but his offer is refused. So Heinz steals the medication for his wife. The question in Kohlberg's case study is was Heinz wrong?
Nathanael remembered this discussion; and as soon as I mentioned the idea of stealing, he brought up this Heinz scenario. He told me he did not think stealing in this circumstance would be wrong. I told him I agree with him. I do not think it would be wrong, either. I asked him what is the difference between Heinz stealing the medicine and, say, him going to Wal-Mart and seeing a Lego set that he wants and stealing it. We determined that what Paul is referring to in Romans 6 is sin just because it is we want to do. No thought for what God wants us to do. No thought for anything other than ourselves. However, stealing the medication that someone needs or food that someone needs would not necessarily be wrong, either. We thought back to our movie Bible study on Wednesday evening over Les Miserables. We talked about the character who had gone to prison for stealing bread for a child to eat. This led us, again, back to Luke 6:1-4. It is very much the same idea. So, based upon, Luke 6:1-4, the words of Jesus; we determined that what Paul is referring to in Romans 6 is more like stealing the Lego set just because we feel like it or telling a lie just because we think we can, without thought of consequence or concern about what God wants us to do.
We discussed Romans 6:19 from the Message, "I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing - not caring about others, not caring about God - the worse your life became and less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?" That Verse really seemed to coincide with Luke 6:1-4 as well as with our ideas of what Paul was writing in Romans 6. So something that could be seen as a contradiction really is not.
Lastly, we talked about being a difference maker. (One of the songs we listened to this morning - not as a plan, just one we were led to by God) was Needtobreathe's "Difference Maker." We are difference makers, as Paul wrote, "But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master" (Romans 6:22-23).
What an awesome discussion! Kids are awesome. They bring such an understanding. No wonder Jesus said we must become like them.
Nathanael, who is nine, remembered a scenario we discussed a few days ago. We were driving home after an out-of-town dentist appointment, and I was reading one of my homework assignments for college out loud to my husband. The scenario in my Christian Education textbook described Lawrence Kohlberg and his theory on moral development through a scenario about Heinz, a hypothetical husband whose wife is dying of cancer. No treatment has worked. A scientist in their hometown developed a medication that may work. The medication costs the scientist $200.00 to make, but he sells it for $2,000. Heinz attempts to raise the money, selling and borrowing; but he is only able to raise half of the $2,000. He asks to pay the remainder of the money in payments, but his offer is refused. So Heinz steals the medication for his wife. The question in Kohlberg's case study is was Heinz wrong?
Nathanael remembered this discussion; and as soon as I mentioned the idea of stealing, he brought up this Heinz scenario. He told me he did not think stealing in this circumstance would be wrong. I told him I agree with him. I do not think it would be wrong, either. I asked him what is the difference between Heinz stealing the medicine and, say, him going to Wal-Mart and seeing a Lego set that he wants and stealing it. We determined that what Paul is referring to in Romans 6 is sin just because it is we want to do. No thought for what God wants us to do. No thought for anything other than ourselves. However, stealing the medication that someone needs or food that someone needs would not necessarily be wrong, either. We thought back to our movie Bible study on Wednesday evening over Les Miserables. We talked about the character who had gone to prison for stealing bread for a child to eat. This led us, again, back to Luke 6:1-4. It is very much the same idea. So, based upon, Luke 6:1-4, the words of Jesus; we determined that what Paul is referring to in Romans 6 is more like stealing the Lego set just because we feel like it or telling a lie just because we think we can, without thought of consequence or concern about what God wants us to do.
We discussed Romans 6:19 from the Message, "I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing - not caring about others, not caring about God - the worse your life became and less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?" That Verse really seemed to coincide with Luke 6:1-4 as well as with our ideas of what Paul was writing in Romans 6. So something that could be seen as a contradiction really is not.
Lastly, we talked about being a difference maker. (One of the songs we listened to this morning - not as a plan, just one we were led to by God) was Needtobreathe's "Difference Maker." We are difference makers, as Paul wrote, "But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master" (Romans 6:22-23).
What an awesome discussion! Kids are awesome. They bring such an understanding. No wonder Jesus said we must become like them.
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