Daddy’s name was Mervin Darcy Herndon. In the little town where I first remember living, the phone book listed him as “Herndon, M.D.” Makes sense, right? But if it’s a Sunday night and your child is very ill, with no emergency room or urgent care for miles, you’re anxiously looking for a doctor, an M. D. (who still made house calls in that long ago time).

The father frantically called our house hoping to find medical care for his daughter. With all the compassion of one loving father to another, Daddy tried almost as anxiously to explain M.D. were his given name initials, not his professional credentials. Sometimes our credentials, or lack there of, can be stumbling blocks between us and what really matters.

Education was a big deal in our family. Daddy went to an Army school for coursework at least once a year. He was driven by not having graduating from high school. That didn’t keep him from serving in World War II, rising to the rank of captain from buck private, or Lt. Colonel afterwards.

Daddy was proud of me for returning to college to complete my degree in teaching. Sadly, he passed less than a year before graduation. His zeal for education, and its credentials were passed onto me. I had to learn the value of credentials on my own.

“testimonials or certified documents showing that a person is entitled to credit or has a right to exercise official power“

merriam-webster

After completing a couple more degrees, one year for Christmas I asked Tom to have all my diplomas professionally framed, and he did. Then of course they had to be displayed. Among some professional development along the way, one educational guru encouraged teachers to display their framed diplomas or teaching certificates in their classrooms. (I’m not sure if any ever did, or if doing so informed or empowered their teaching.) Mine are currently stored in a box somewhere in the garage.

Jesus called a little child to come to him. He stood the child in front of the followers. Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom. The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child.

matthew 18:2-4

Perhaps like many of us, I frequently need a concrete example for Jesus’ teaching in order to understand it better. Luke’s gospel provides a powerful example of Jesus doing what He does, not because of what we are or can bring to the table, but because of who He is.

In Capernaum there was an army officer. He had a servant who was very sick; he was near death. The officer loved the servant very much. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some older Jewish leaders to him. He wanted the men to ask Jesus to come and save the life of his servant. The men went to Jesus. They begged Jesus to help the officer. 

So Jesus went with them. He was coming near the officer’s house when the officer sent friends to say, “Lord, you don’t need to do anything special for me. I am not good enough for you to come into my house. That is why I did not come to you myself. You need only to give the order, and my servant will be healed. 

I know this because I am a man under the authority of other men. And I have soldiers under my authority. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. And I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. And I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and my servant obeys me.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He turned to the people following him and said, “I tell you, this is the most faith I have seen anywhere, even in Israel.”

The group that was sent to Jesus went back to the house. There they found that the servant was healed.

luke 7:2-4a, 6-10

It’s only through the grace of Jesus that we are surrounded, covered, our flagrant scars and wounds healed so our lives can become acceptable offerings for our Heavenly Father. It’s not our families or education, our belongings or credentials. There’s only one requirement to being a child of God:

If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children.

Romans 8:14