When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming, He said of him, 'There is an Israelite
who deserves the name, incapable of deceit'. 'How do you know me?' said
Nathaniel. 'Before Philip came to call you,' said Jesus, 'I saw you under
the fig tree.' Nathaniel answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you
are the King of Israel.' Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because
I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than
that.' And then He added, 'I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven
laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.
John 1:47-511
What really happened under the fig tree? Was Nathaniel praying to God,
silently pondering the coming of the Messiah? What was he seeking that
was so profound to receive the first promise from Jesus that he shall see
greater things than these? Were these visions or insights related
to the coming of the Messiah? One wonders. Regardless of what he experienced
under the tree, it was a preparatory process before his destiny was anchored
in Jesus. Many theologians believe that this disciple was the same as Bartholomew,
one of the apostles of Christ who some historians believe preached the
gospel in India.2
The call of God always follows an individual's personal encounter with
Christ. For most people it is not a one-time event under the fig tree.
How do we know or recognize God's call? Often the call is not distinctly
defined but is a gradual process of seeking and growing into His will.
The road of the believer who responds to the call is seldom illuminated
with markers but is blurred with uncertainties and concerns. It is a voyage
with no universal map and is often lonely except for assurance of the Holy
Spirit's presence and His peace. Even then it seems intermittent.
First, we must make a genuine commitment to follow Jesus, but then what?
The disciples left their nets, families and had the unique opportunity
to walk with Jesus. Then there were only twelve of them. Today we follow
Christ with millions but continue to respond to obligations of the family
and the community. However, our witness must reach wider communities. At
early stages in your healing career, a simple analogy may be to think of
life as a long trail through which we walk. We encounter many gates on
the path, which seem attractive yet remain closed and others that open
yet don't seem right. Prayer is a powerful tool in this journey. Second,
many pioneers of faith have embarked on this pilgrimage, yet only a few
have discovered the secret of waiting for His timing and His ways. Many
followers receive a call, glow with zeal, but do not wait for His direction
or His voice. They race or plod ahead with the vision, which may gradually
be replaced by their own.
Many followers receive a call,
glow with zeal and but do not wait
for His direction or His voice
His Call to the Early Pioneers in the Healing Ministry
Particularly in medical missions, some pioneers have made a transforming,
sustainable
impact on the lives of the communities they served, while they seem to
have had a common denominator of walking in the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Where does the secret to their success lie? Truly not in the skills or
knowledge they were equipped with when they started, but in the gradual
unfolding of His purposes and His will as they waited upon Him for direction
and providence.
The biographies of the pioneers of the healing ministry who launched
out into the unknown with rudimental knowledge and skills testify to their
complete total reliance on divine direction. There are examples of physicians
like Paul Brand who made phenomenal contributions in reconstructive surgery
restoring the lives and dignity of individuals with leprosy and empowering
them toward wholeness.
What was the inspiring force behind the early medical missionaries who
served their communities in humility and in severe adversities?3,4These
pioneers sought the will of God through prayer and sacrifice using their
meager means and, as Paul says in Corinthians, 'poor, yet making many rich.'
Walking with God gave them a new identity and opened new horizons of service
in showing God's love.
The communities they served were ignorant of the western concept of
healing and development, but they were not naive in evaluating the motives
and intentions of people who come as intruders. Village people seem to
possess a built-in sensor or radar to detect those who are genuine ministers
of healing, who give of themselves and their skills sacrificially. They
are also quick to differentiate those whose objectives are to execute a
scheme or project they have been paid to accomplish.
People who have been promised much but disappointed often are skeptical
and suspicious. What is sustainable is the true empowerment of communities,
as was seen in transformations achieved by the spirit of the early pioneers.
Despite phenomenal advances in medical technology, sustainable change is
not always evident in these communities.
Village people seem to possess
a built-in sensoror radar to detect those
who are genuine ministers of healing.
A True Spirit of Service
Where have we gone wrong? Why is it that the early pioneers accomplished
so much with scanty resources and we with all the knowledge, skills and
far greater resources are less able to achieve sustainable impact in the
communities we serve? People today also feel a divine call to serve. Perhaps
there is an increasing tendency to rely on our technical capabilities and
skills while attempting to accomplish His will - our way. They sought His
will daily in the mundane and against impossible constraints. Prayer was
vital because they had little else on which to rely.
Today we spend extended periods in planning and discussions with experts
-- not the people. In most instances we take it to the Lord for His approval
afterthe
decision is made. His approval and guidance are not sought during the decision-making
process but rather we expect Him to bless our plans. Does that mean we
should sit back and expect God to reveal the answers? By no means!
As in so much that we argue about, the answer is not to conform to the
technical standards to evaluate success. Preparation is limited to acquiring
the knowledge, skills, resources, tools, strategies, and experience to
undertake a task. Success is, of course, determined by personal values,
dollars, targets and goals achieved. However, we must also pay attention
to God's standards and principles.
The disciples had a preparatory period of three years to acquire the
skills for preaching, teaching and healing. Yet it was imperative for them
to wait for the Gift. Daniel Fountain in his book Health, the Bible
and the Church remarks that mere medical technology with the Christian
label does not exemplify the power of God.5 He further adds
that the world awaits the visible demonstration of the power of God to
restore persons to wholeness and proposes the Galilee model, which Jesus
used to restore the lost. An integrated approach with the active involvement
of the church is essential in building healthy communities.
It is in silent communication with Him under our own fig trees that
His purposes are revealed. No one is given a blue print of guidelines;
as Isaiah points out, it is 'precept upon precept, line upon line, here
a little, there a little.' "God's work" is accomplished in God's design.
The simple application of models or formulas involving a winning combination
without the Holy Spirit will not yield lasting fruits. Transformation and
true empowerment are deeper works of the heart. The old missionaries faced
great challenges and yet were sustained because of their God-centered faith,
whose fruit was evident in the peace and joy they radiated through the
Holy Spirit.
Why is it that the early pioneers
accomplished so much with scanty resources
and we with all the knowledge, skills
and far greater resources
are less able to achieve sustainable
References:
1) The Jerusalem Bible - New Testament.
2) John Foxe in Foxe's Christian Martyrs of the World, Barbour
and Company Inc.Uhrichsville,OH,1989.
3) John C Taylor in India - Dr John Taylor Remembers - The period
from 1914 -1967, World Presbyterian Missions Inc., 1973.
4) Dorothy Clarke Wilson in Dr Ida - Passing on the Torch of Life,
Library of Congress Catalogue, 1976.
5) Daniel E Fountain in Health, the Bible and the Church, Billy
Graham Center, Wheaton College, 1989.
