Shakespeare
called the world a stage and referred to everyone having a time to play their
part upon it. What he didn’t clarify was how big the stage might be for each of
us and who was sitting in the audience. He sure didn’t know what part each of
us was to play. We all have our role on the world’s stage, yes, but mistakes
are made as we misjudge the size of our part, the size of the stage reserved
for us, and the size of the audience or even who is the audience. Perhaps life
would be more of what God intended if we got straight on those questions.
One problem
we have is understanding our part may not be as important as we think. We look
at our wealth or social standing and sometimes get an inflated image of the
importance we have in life. We forget that what we have once belonged to
someone else and will again someday. Jesus told a parable to get people to see
power and importance can be transient. His summary statement was blunt.
Luk 12:20-21 But
God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things
you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for
himself and is not rich toward God."
At the same
time we should not fall into the trap of believing we are small, weak and
therefore of no value. Our role on life’s stage may be more important than we
realize. A young boy was in the crowd when Jesus said those present needed to
be fed, a mass of more than 5000 people.
Joh
6:9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what
are they for so many?"
Jesus took
the small offering and multiplied it to meet the needs of the many. When placed
in the right hands, our seemingly minuscule two cents worth becomes all that
God needs.
Not every
good deed is immediately forgotten or punished. A woman who spread perfume on
the feet of Jesus did a deed important enough to be remembered for over 2000
years. Jesus said of her,
Mat
26:12-13 “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me
for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the
whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."
The woman
was criticized for wasting an expensive ointment valued at nearly a year’s pay
in that day. To honor Jesus for her it was worth it. Her sacrifice earned her a
place in Christian history.
There are no
insignificant roles. Paul told his readers their stage was far greater than
this world. Our purpose is more than just to play out our role and move from
the scene. All the world may be a stage, but the audience is far greater than
the mortal and time-constrained world around us. The eternal God is always
there to see how his creation reacts to the circumstances of the moment. He is
not the only one present either.
Narrow is
the vision of the one who deems his five senses are the only doors into the
created universe. The spiritual realm exists for those who have the eyes of
faith to see beyond what can be put on scales or in a test tube.
Eph 3:10 “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might
now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
The audience
we have watching us is far greater than the people we meet each day. In a sense
the spiritual realm is holding the Church up to a set of standards to see if it
will accomplish what its Savior intended. Will the Church succeed or fail in
the plan God has laid before it? God is counting on his people to fulfill their
role upon the stage of the world.
