An obscure teacher changed the world—AFTER HIS DEATH

“Consider this: An obscure teacher from a small town in a ruined country changed the world—AFTER HIS DEATH” (David Jeremiah). That’s a profound statement, but it is true in the case of Jesus Christ.

There is an important lesson here: Our impact cannot be measured by the preacher who speaks at our funeral. Rather, our impact can only be measured by God in eternity. Life is a voting machine, but eternity is a weighing machine. Everything will look different, even much different, in eternity. Life measures what people and the world think of us, but eternity has different values and views everything from the perspective of what has eternal value. Sadly, not much associated with this world will last!

One day a king sent for his court jester and presented him with a stick. The king said, “Take this stick and keep it until you find a bigger fool than yourself.”

Several years passed. The day came when the king was lying on his deathbed. Once again, he sent for the court jester. The king said, “I am going away.”

The jester asked, “Where to?”

The king replied, “To another country.”

The jester asked, “What provision has your majesty made for this journey and for living in this country whither thou goest?”

The king answered, “None. No provision at all.”

The jester then handed the stick to the king. He said, “Take it. I have finally found a bigger fool than myself for I myself only trifle with the things of time but you have trifled with the things of eternity.”

The jester could have said those same words to many in the Christmas story: the innkeeper, Satan and his fallen angelic demons, the silent people of Jerusalem. But others chose a different course: the Magi from the east, Mary and Joseph, and the shepherds.

Time…eternity. Oh, which do you prefer? Which regulates your decisions and lifestyle? Is it the voting machine called life and public opinion or is it the weighing machine called eternity when all things will be properly weighed, even perfectly evaluated? Choose wisely.

Tom Swartzwelder was born again at the age of nine in an old-fashioned revival meeting. Tom received his B.A. from Tennessee Temple University and his M. Div from Luther Rice Seminary. He has pastored for nearly forty years in both bi-vocational and full-time roles. He provides practical how-to-do-ministry resources for the disciples of Jesus Christ at http://www.godsgreenhouse.net. Tom’s latest book is “God Speaks–Today!”