Positions Vacant

 

I just couldn’t resist taking a photo of this lovely Lilly growing in amongst these ferns in my daughter’s garden, it was a dull day so the ferns didn’t show up as brightly in the background as they did some weeks later when I took the second photo of the lilies seed pods. It is hard for you to see here, but only 2 of the flowers set seeds, each pod having about 3 seeds. I think 9 flowers actually opened so from the plants point of view that was a disappointing result. Why the poor result? Well the trouble is that in the part of Dubbo City where they are growing there are just not enough bees to cater for all the flowers. I have titled this article “Positions Vacant” partly because if there are any bees out of work anywhere there is a job available here.

2000 years ago Jesus pointed out that He had “Positions Vacant” too and from what He said, He probably had in mind a better result than the lilies had with their 2 out of 9. You see He was looking at the crowds of people and they reminded Him of a wheat field ready for harvest, so He told the handful of disciples following Him to pray to “The Lord of the harvest (God) to send workers into the field.” Now whether they took Him seriously and prayed I cannot tell but my guess is that they were not really dedicated regarding that, because there are still millions of people who have not had the Gospel of the saving grace of Jesus explained to them; Oh yes people may have heard that there is a “religion” called Christianity but it hasn’t been explained to them that Christianity is not a religion in the ordinary sense of the word, but is simply a personal relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ. You see, “Religion” implies obeying a set of rules in order to earn approval, but in this situation Jesus has done it all for us; what we have to do is “believe on Him”, love him and God for their forgiving grace, and love our “brothers and sisters” (neighbours). After all “It was whilst we were yet sinners that Christ died for us”: He didn’t criticise us or show resentment, instead He just paid the price for our sin. Therefore, we ought to follow His example and stop criticising and judging others. The woman taken “in the very act” of adultery is a good example. Jesus told those who wanted to stone her to death: “Let him who is without sin throw the first stone”. And after they all went away without doing so, He said to the woman: “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”. Jesus never asked for volunteers to throw stones at others (or blow them up). On the contrary, He wants volunteers who will be willing to explain His loving grace that I have highlighted above, but volunteers to do this seem to be as scarce as hen’s teeth, or the bees I mentioned, which is part of the reason that Jesus said: Narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it, whilst broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go in there at”; because if there were more bees more flowers would be pollinated, if there were more volunteers explaining the Gospel more people would be going down that “narrow way that leads to life”. Why the lack of  volunteers? Isn’t the job important?  Oh yes! It is the most important job there is, but we “pass the buck” hoping someone else will do it. Well then, if we don’t feel up to it we should then encourage and support those keen to do it, e.g. there are qualified, gifted people who want to teach Scripture in our schools on a full time basis but require financial support to do so. Such as Dubbo & District Special Religious Education – BSB 062-534, A/c 10390641 for Primary School or Dubbo Secondary Christian Education Association Inc. PO Box 1795 Dubbo N.S.W. dsceai@gmail.com for High School. Regarding this Paul said: “The workman is worthy of his hire” and pointed out that “We all have gifts differing according to the grace given unto us”. Paul had the same problem in Rome 2000 years ago and in chapter 10 and verse 14 of his letter to the Romans said: “How can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? So this is a legitimate option as students will then learn of God’s love for them: “bring up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it”. Even the smallest contribution like “a widow’s mite” pleases God.      Best wishes, Tom.