Staff Service - 7 Sep 1953

Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem during the years before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon in B.C 585. He prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would come with his army, destroy Jerusalem, and take the Israelites as captives to Babylon. The king and princes were angry to hear Jeremiah giving utterance to such a prophecy, and ordered the prophet not to go out and speak in public. Then Jeremiah decided to convey God’s message to the people in writing. In this task he had the services of a faithful disciple, Baruch, who wrote down the messages of the prophet. Baruch was not an ordinary scribe. He was a young nobleman belonging to one of the leading families in the city. His grandfather had been governor of Jerusalem. He volunteered to assist Jeremiah and work with him with high hopes and great ambitions. With his family influence he would form a party who would work to make God’s will victorious. Perhaps he would lead the party, and later ages would recognize him as the Prime Minister who had saved the state. Baruch had such high ambitions, but Jeremiah soon disillusioned him. The Prophet impressed on Baruch the fact that he should not expect personal glory out of the service of God: ‘Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.’ In fulfilling God’s purposes for the nation, Baruch’s part was to be Jeremiah’s assistant as a scribe. That was the way he was called upon to serve God and the nation. He should not aspire to be anything great and win fame for himself. In the great purposes of God most of us, like Baruch, can only play a small part. It is natural that we should desire to do some great thing for God and his Church. But that desire should carry with it a willingness to do anything that is little or considered insignificant. Such a readiness to do anything, however small it maybe, will be well pleasing to God. Sometimes we complain about the humiliations of our environment and the lack of opportunity we have in our several spheres of work to show forth our capabilities and qualities. A humble schoolmaster in a remote village may think that if only he could get a place in a first grad institution, he could show the abilities he possesses as a teacher. A clerk in an office may think that if only he could be put in a responsible position as a staff officer he could show his initiative and leadership. Many suppose that the fine or strong qualities which they think they discern in themselves remain undemonstrated because of the absence of stimulation and opportunity. Such reasoning is generally mistaken. Superior intellect asserts itself in the extraordinary way in which it deals with ordinary tasks and occasions. We read of Paganini who needed only a single string stretched on a wooden shoe to demonstrate his superior skill as a musician. Raphael found that a bit of canvas, a few inches square, was ample for his paintings and he is looked upon as the prince of painters. With a class of 30 or 35 boys a form master has ample opportunities for experiment and research and to demonstrate his abilities as a teacher. This is equally true in relation to character.

We do not need great things to prove great qualities; for moral power, richness, and grace declare themselves in a way that cannot be overlooked or denied in actions that have no other greatness: ‘The trivial round, the common task, would furnish all we ought to ask; Room to deny ourselves, a road to bring us daily nearer God.’ (J.Keble, hymn) Baruch was told that he should stay where he was and serve God faithfully in that station of life to which God had called him. ‘Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.’ Closely connected with this there is one other thought suggested by the text. There is no doubt that the occasional deeds of splendour done by men or women with exceptional gifts arrest the attention of people and receive their applause. But they are not to be compared, for their effect upon the general happiness and well being of society, with the deeds that are daily and hourly being done by the less gifted of our fellowmen. Ordinary people who perform their everyday duties faithfully do not come to the limelight, but they certainly contribute more to the wellbeing of society than the gifted few whose names appear in the headlines of newspapers. The starry heavens declare the glory of God – the sun, moon and the stars. But even the minute things of nature, the atoms and the microbes, are so exquisitely constructed that they too declare the glory of God. The microscope not less than the telescope reveals the glory of God. That God is greatest in his smallest creations philosophers have long understood, and modern science furnishes abundant confirmation of this view. If God manifests His infinite greatness in small and common things may we not reveal the utmost depth, loftiness, and refinement of moral and spiritual life in the most commonplace and monotonous vocations? The martyrs were called upon to show their love to God by the sacrifice of their lives. May we not show our love to God by small sacrifices? Peter and Paul showed their courage by witnessing for their faith before kings and rulers. May we not show our courage by witnessing for our faith in our daily lives? There are many like Job of the Old Testament who have faced bitter tragedy and shown their patience by bowing to it. May we not show our patience by smiling away the worry of common days? We can as clearly demonstrate our enthusiasm by small continuous efforts in an obscure circle as by some heroic exertion on a great occasion.

My friends you and I are called upon to extend God’s cause in the world and to fulfil his purposes by doing our work as teachers. In this materialistic age the profession to which we belong does not carry much weight. The particular work assigned to us in the school may even appear to be dull and monotonous. I recall to mind our friend C.C. Jell of blessed memory who taught the 4th standard throughout his long period of service, and he was a most successful teacher in his time. When a suggestion was made that he might take on the 5 th standard, after several years with the 4 th , he protested against the change. He never found his work monotonous because his interest was not so much in the subjects he taught as in the boys who changed from year to year.

Ambition is good but the highest ambition of any man or woman ought to be to serve God and to extend His cause in the world, in whatever sphere of work to which God may call us. I have known in the teaching profession and elsewhere men always looking for something better. They are never satisfied with any position they achieve. They make no attempt to do the work before them efficiently for their mind is not on their work. They spend all their time scheming to climb up the ladder of what the world calls success. In no position do they find contentment. Let our resolve today be to do that which is before us thoroughly and efficiently remembering it is God to whom we have to give account; and God in his own time may call us to more responsible positions where we can serve Him better. ‘Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.’