We Would See Jesus
March 14
Many years ago, I was asked to preach in Olivet Baptist Church, New Westminster, British Columbia. I have not forgotten that initial experience. It was sobering.
Tucked at the back of the pulpit, where only the preacher could see it, there was a small metallic notice bearing just five words: “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Those words brought me up short on that occasion. I asked myself, “What am I doing up here?”
“Sir, we would see Jesus” were words first asked by a group of foreigners who had come to worship with the Jews at their celebration of the Feast of the Passover. Obviously, they were God–fearing men. They were a group of Greeks who had heard of the activities of Christ, including the raising of Lazarus. Learning of His presence nearby, they wanted to meet Him. Coming up to Philip, one of the apostles, they made the request: “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Moving in toward his Master, Philip passed on the request to Andrew, and the two of them went on to Jesus.
It was a significant moment in Jesus’ life and ministry. First, He had come as Messiah . . . Savior . . . to His own people. Now, “The hour has come,” He responded to Philip and Andrew. A little later in John 12:32, He added, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself”—just as those Greeks had been drawn. Salvation, which Jesus offers, is for all.
Back to the little sign. Those words mean that when we stand up to share God’s good news, our hearers don’t want to see or hear us, but the One whose ambassador we are trying to be—Jesus. Sometimes, even as Christians, our lives loom so large that our Master cannot be seen or heard. We Christians are really to be channels that lead to Christ.
Care and Prayer
March 15
Eight years after graduating as a Doctor, Sheila Cassidy went to work in Chile. In 1975 during the military dictatorship of General Pinochet, a priest asked her to treat a wounded revolutionary, an act of compassion which led to her arrest and torture. After two months in prison she was deported and returned to the UK where she was immediately drawn into a life of frenetic human rights lecturing. In 1980 after trying her vocation as a nun, she returned to the practice of medicine and in 1982 was appointed as medical director of Plymouth’s new hospice— St Luke’s.
“In my spare time,” said Dr. Cassidy, “I do a bit of religious broadcasting and preach in churches and cathedrals, often on suffering and prayer. My belief in God gives me enormous strength and joy, and underpins everything I do. Daily prayer is as important to me as food.”4
Two words fastened themselves in my mind about her life—“care” and “prayer.” There was a young woman who loved enough, cared enough, to give her life and her skills in medicine to unknown patients in a slum hospital in a foreign, third world land. No wonder, with all the danger and the senseless torture by the secret police, she indicated that daily prayer was as important to her as food.
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,” writes the apostle Peter in his first epistle, chapter 3, verse12a. Peter continues in verse 13: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” Apparently some evil men are, as Dr. Cassidy discovered. Then Peter adds this significant sentence in verse 14a: “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” Peter knew a good deal about caring as well. That’s what Jesus directed him to do—to care for Christ’s sheep and lambs in that time–stopping moment following the Resurrection when Jesus faced and restored a broken Peter who had denied Him three times before Calvary. After suggesting to Peter what it would cost him to care, Jesus invited him, “Follow me.” It did eventually cost Peter his life, but what a magnificent life, as Peter passionately followed the example of his Master in caring.
Of course, to care like that, you have to pray daily and fervently.
The Importance of Little Things
March 16
Little things can be very important to our daily lives. Something happened during an American presidential debate that underscores that fact. On September 23, 1976, U.S. presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford were debating, each vying for the support of millions of listeners over the NBC network. Suddenly, as the broadcast got underway, there was almost deafening silence. For twenty–seven minutes, nothing was heard from the two candidates. What would cause a monumental break at such a historic juncture?
We were living in Calgary at the time, and the director of religious programming for NBC and her film crew were in Canada. They had come to Calgary to do a broadcast tape of an institution with which I was involved. I asked the director if she knew what had happened that night. “Yes,” she said, “there was a short circuit in a tiny capacitor—a $1 part about the size of a cigarette filter– which knocked out the only amplifier . . . and there wasn’t a backup nearby.”
You can draw all sorts of lessons from that one . . . how the world’s most important leaders are powerless under some circumstances . . . how important backups are . . . how some people fail to carry out their responsibilities ... how we all make mistakes . . . and so on.
I’d like to point out the importance of little things . . . just like that tiny capacitor.
For example, a little faith. Talking about that, Jesus put it this way: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move” (Matthew 17:20b). And it need not be a physical mountain. It may be a mountain of fear . . . a mountain of despair . . . a mountain of doubt. But a tiny bit of faith is needed to make the connection. That’s your part. The rest of the miracle is up to our Heavenly Father.
Confused by Grace
March 17
A story is told of a gentleman who had the letters B A I K embroidered on his shirt. Someone who noticed the letters asked what they meant. “Simple,” was the reply. “Boy Am I Confused.”
“But confused is not spelled with a K,” retorted the enquirer.
“That shows you how confused I am,” replied the gentleman.
Confusion is apparent in the parable of the landowner with a large vineyard ready to harvest. Early in the morning, the vineyard owner went to the town market and was able to find a group of men ready to work. He offered them a denarius a day, so they went to work. But more workers were needed, so at nine o’clock the owner went to the market and hired more. He didn’t say what he would pay this time but promised fair compensation. Then he went out again at noon, three o’clock, and for the last time at five o’clock, following the same procedure.
At the end of the day at six o’clock, all the men came to pick up their pay—and that’s when confusion set in. The employer first paid a denarius to each of the group that had worked the shortest time. When all groups were paid a denarius, there was much grumbling and confusion, especially from those who had worked the longest. “Not fair,” they said.
“Did not I promise you one denarius and you agreed? Do not I have the right to be generous with my own money?” the owner replied.
A parable is a story with a moral or lesson; and the moral of the story is about God’s grace. God does not owe anyone anything, and that which He gives any one of us is given through His grace. Grace is unmerited favor. That which He gives is eternal life, and it doesn’t depend on how many years we serve. Grace was exactly what was promised to the penitent thief on the cross beside Jesus, and he had no hours left to work.
Many good folks are confused in believing that they can work for their own salvation. May we be ever so thankful for God’s marvelous Grace—His free gift.