From the Pulpit: Put His words to work in our lives

Some years ago, Karl Barth, acclaimed as one of the greatest theologians of his time, disclaimed any lofty title and said that “in God’s scheme of things the little lady who came to clean up his office when he left at the end of the day might well be in closer touch with the eternal reality of God than he with all his massive volumes of writing.” 

Then he added, “When he approaches the pearly gates, St. Peter will say of him, ‘Here comes old Karl with his pushcart full of books, but they will not gain him special favors in admittance. What God looks for is not a long resume, but a long record of service to his children.’ ”

We are accustomed to linking prestige and importance to our economic position or to our name recognition. Once in a great while we hear about someone like a Mother Teresa who became known the world over because she spent her time in different countries establishing orphanages and helping the poor instead of trying to get a name in headlines. Jesus himself said that anyone wanting to be great should simply be a servant. 

Wouldn’t it make a big difference in our world if we simply put His words to work in our lives? If Jesus’ words were somehow to echo in some corporate headquarters or in the halls of government, or even in everyday life, wouldn’t that be great?

But I have to be honest with you. One important thing I’ve learned over the years in trying to understand, interpret, and apply the teachings of Jesus is that it is far easier and much more comfortable to apply them to others, to those “out there,” than to apply them to myself. I have also learned that unless I apply them to myself, unless I look inside first, I am missing something very important. 

It’s as Jesus said: “Seeing the speck in someone else’s eye but not seeing the mote in my own.”