The world recently mourned the passing of a good leader, John F. Kennedy, late President of the United States of America. Friend and foe alike paid tribute to a man of courage, wisdom, and sincerity of purpose.
The issues which this ruler of men attempted to solve will continue to defy any human solution. Problems such as the color-bar, monopolies communism and others, require a power which can be wielded over all mankind without exception, and without the possibility of assassination or reprisal.
Surely there is no hope in the sons of men!
“Put not your trust in princes nor in the sons of men in whom there is no hope.” Again the lesson has come home to men and women, but will they learn by such experiences? We know they will not.
But there is a lesson in recent happenings which Christ’s servants do well to heed.
We have seen a man possessed of everything a ruler could wish for: youth, vigour, worldly possessions, wealth almost unlimited, a great family background, and the leader of perhaps the greatest nation on earth. Add to this a sincerity and singleness of purpose. What more could man ask for? Yet in a moment of time all this proved useless. None could save the stricken leader as his life ebbed away. Doubt and fear took hold of the American nation. The smaller nations who have dwelt in the shadow of America’s greatness fear that the new President will not have the same ability and power as the one who has gone.
Nineteen centuries ago a young, vigorous leader taught at the feet of one of his country’s greater teachers, a man of wealthy parents, a member of the highest Jewish council, on his own admission a “Hebrew of the Hebrews”, reached a crisis in his life. How did he solve it?
In his own words, “What things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ”. Ease, luxury and power could have been his. Instead, he suffered imprisonments, betrayal by false brethren, beatings, being stoned and left for dead and many other things. Finally, he was executed in the city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. Despite all this his work has been carried on and his assurance is with us today, as vibrant and full of meaning as when his words were uttered. Death, that great bar to man’s ambition cannot prevent Paul’s great hope being realised, nor his work its fullest fruit. His exhortation to the Corinthians was, “We shall all be changed . . . Death shall be swallowed up in victory”.
Because victory is assured, his exhortation and advice is, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the works of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”.
The prince whom we serve will assume power over not merely one nation, but all nations! No power of any kind will be able to prevail against Him.
“His name shall endure forever . . . all nations will call Him blessed.” Yes, the whole earth will be filled with God’s glory.
This is the ruler in whom we can place our fullest and deepest trust, now in this very day. Our labour will not be in vain, if we but serve the Prince of Life now!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One