“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!” (John 4: 34 NIV).
Seeing and not perceiving it. Listening and not hearing it. Thinking and yet thoughtless. Feeling and yet being callous. How is it possible that one “sees” and not “see” at the same time!
People saw and acknowledged Nicodemus as they walked pass him, but hardly anyone noticed the Samaritan woman. One is highly visible and the other person is almost invisible. Would our eyes be on Nicodemus, while our eyes be looking away at the Samaritan woman? I wonder how long will it be before we “forget” the college or graduate students who left us this month. Are we oblivious to those who are missing each Sunday or on Friday nights? Does it matter to us?
Jesus says to us to “Open our eyes and look…”. Do you know how many children are in our church? Do you know how many youths are in our midst? Do you know how many are attending the Indonesian worship service?
Children and youth are the invisible people in our church. It’s a quick glance at them as they run pass us or seeing or hearing them yelling in hallway or fellowship room. We may even think that they are a nuisance in our church, but Jesus asks us to lift up our eyes to “perceive” the needs of our church and of the community that we live in.
Seeing Aiden becoming baptized this month encourages me that perhaps there may be other children or youth who would be willing to take that step of profession of faith. My granddaughter will be in high school next year this time. Wouldn’t it be a blessing if all of our children and youth become like Priscilla, Steffi, Rachel or one of young adults who serve the Lord selflessly and sacrificially! It’s because someone invested in them.
Will you lift up your eyes again to see our children and youth? Will you be willing to invest in them so that they will become future disciples and servants of Jesus Christ? Join us, serve with us whether it be in the Children, Youth, Young Adult, or Adult Ministries in our Church. Jesus says to us to lift up our eyes. What is He revealing to you and what will you for Him?
Kingston Tong
August 28, 2022