International Visitors

By Colly Caldwell

   “There were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. ²³But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified’”  (John 12:20-23)

   Several years ago, Lynda and I visited the church in Pisa, Italy. We had been there before and we came back to see their preacher, Arrigo Corazza, his family, and the brethren. Arrigo asked that we come to preach and counsel with him about some issues in the church in Italy. We also came to see Stephano Corazza and the brethren in Rome. We still support these preachers in both congregations and we hope all of you feel blessed to share in their work.

   Seeking Jesus. In John 12, there were some Jewish (we presume) tourists from Greece who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. No doubt, they wanted to see the sights of this wonderful city. But they came primarily to worship during the Passover festival. While there, they heard about a local celebrity who was making quite a name for himself. So they sought out one of His disciples with a Greek name, Philip, and asked to see Jesus.

   Recently an American couple went to France. While there, they visited Colombey, a little town of about 350 population. There they found a gray stone church surrounded by a small cemetery. They were searching for the grave of Charles de Gaulle. There was a large monument in the center, but that was not the tomb of de Gaulle. His marker was a simple white marble stone among many others off to the side.

   Sometimes, we look for Jesus in the wrong places or we expect something we do not find. I do not know whether Jesus ever personally met with those Greeks. But most surely, whatever their motives, it is a blessed event to see Jesus. I pray I will be privi-leged to see him and to be received by Him on the day when He comes.

   There is a cost to being with Him. Jesus said, “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

   Some of you will remember Gracie Allen, who played the scatterbrained wife of comedian George Burns. In one routine, Gracie called in a repairman to fix her electric clock. The repairman fiddled with it for a while and then told her, “There’s nothing wrong with the clock; you just didn’t have it plugged in.” Gracie replied, “I don’t want to waste electricity, so I only plug it in when I want to know what time it is.” That is an apt description of many of us. We save our religion for a rainy day. We go about unplugged and

wonder why our lives are so devoid of consistency. We are not always plugged into the power. How sad. Our faith is not something to be plugged in when it is convenient or necessary. The Christian life is to be lived daily and there is a cost to that!

   The paradox of our faith is that by losing ourselves we find ourselves. When we bury our personal ambitions and selfish goals, we become of real use to God. Jesus wanted his followers to understand that.

   We too often exercise faith like unprepared tourists. Someone made a list of “vacation vexations.”

   “The car needs a tune-up, but we can get one on the road. They cost the same there.”

   “No need for reservations, we will find a place.”

   “We’ll take Rover. How much trouble can he be?”

   “We’ll get the flat fixed when we stop for the night. I never heard of two tires going flat in one day.”

   “There’s bound to be a station somewhere along this shortcut.”

   But the gain is worth the cost. Jesus said, “He who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

   Do you feel that you are paying a price beyond what others pay to be a Christian? It is true that some sacrifice more. Have we given as much as Job or Paul? Probably not. Have we given as much as Jesus sacrificed to bring us into God’s grace? Certainly not.  While we realize that such may seem to be little consolation in view of the easy lives of others around us, it is still true upon deeper reflection that God will eternally reward those who are willing to “see Jesus” under the most adverse circumstances. Just as Christ was glorified, so we will see the reward!