Letter From An Eleven-Year Old

by Rev Greg Obong-Oshotse 23 July 2021

Text: Luke 24:31 “And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him.” Luke 24:45 “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

In early 1968 Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones became unwell and could not carry on with his regular ministry at Westminster Chapel in London, says his biographer Iain Murray. Following a successful operation on 8 March, people rejoiced that he would soon be returning to his pulpit which he had held for about 30 years. Cards and letters poured in during this period. A correspondent said Dr Lloyd-Jones was ‘the only preacher she could understand.’ He was particularly touched by that letter because it was written by an eleven-year old girl. It was the practice at the Chapel for children, as soon as they could sit still, to sit with their parents in worship in the main sanctuary. Lloyd-Jones preached regularly to families covering all ages. One only needs to read or listen to his sermons to experience the depth of thinking and exposition that he took his hearers into. Yet an 11-year old found him ‘the only preacher she could understand.’ Obviously, this was beyond intellectual or mental understanding. It was, more importantly, spiritual understanding. Which means she had been given a spiritual appetite to understand the things of God. This is precisely what Christ is also doing with His disciples here and it underlines the teaching that spiritual understanding is by revelation, not an age- related skill. A sermon that a 45-year old professor might find ‘dry’ may fill an 11-year old with joyfully nourishment at the same service. We do well to yearn and pray for spiritual appetite.