Heavenly Rewards

One of my favourite missionaries is a guy by the name of James O. Fraser. Born in 1886 in England, he graduated with an engineering degree (which was a big thing in the early 1900s) and was a very talented concert pianist. But at the age of 21, he gave up his promising future and headed to Yunnan province in China, where he ministered to the Lisu people until his death in 1938. Being a missionary in China during those days was no easy feat. He had to learn the language from scratch and quickly assimilate into the Lisu customs, culture, and communal life. He had to leave behind the comforts of civilised Britain for the undeveloped native areas of the Yunnan province.

He travelled the whole province by foot or on a donkey’s back. Sometimes, he had to trek for days through the jungles in order to reach the tribal villages. This left him exposed to extreme cold weather, damp floors, malaria, and typhoid. Yet he persevered from village to village, faithfully preaching the gospel in every village. He loved the people with the love of Christ. Through his faithfulness, he managed to establish Lisu churches throughout the province and was part of the team that translated the Bible into the Lisu language. As a result of his relentless love for Christ and the Lisu people, thousands came to know the Lord through James’ ministry. James died from malignant cerebral malaria at the age of 52.

I have often wondered - what drove James to do what he did? What would motivate a man to give up the comforts of England for the dirt roads, damp floors, and disease-ridden villages of China?

Perhaps, today’s passage can shed some light on James’ motivations. John 14 begins with Jesus talking about home. He refers to His home as the Father’s House. And, He says that He would go to prepare a place for His disciples.

In the ancient Jewish world, when a man is betrothed, he and his father would build a new room together that is an extension of the father’s house. And the room will only be ready when the father says that it is ready. When that happens, the son would then go and fetch his bride, and they would be married and settle in this new room. Sounds familiar? This would extend the family clan and the Father’s house.

This imagery that Jesus gives us is important because it shows the importance of God’s children being connected to one another in heaven. Remember the context that these verses came from - in John 13, Jesus talked about serving one another and loving one another as He had loved them. I believe, in part, what Jesus is trying to tell His disciples is this: as they go through all the ministry challenges they would have to go through in their lives, their eyes should never be on earthly rewards like recognition, fame, and the praise of man. Rather, their eyes should be focused heavenward. Their ultimate reward should be the salvation of their souls as well as being a part of the great big family of God.

Perhaps, that was what drove James O. Fraser to do what he did in China. May we be the same. As we love and serve as Jesus did in this world, may we not do it for recognition, fame, Instagram likes, or popularity. Rather, may our desired reward always be heavenly - that our names are written in heaven and that we will be a part of God’s big family!

Reflection

• Ponder: What was Christ’s motivation to complete His suffering and crucifixion?
• Reflect on your motivations for loving and serving like Christ. Are your motivations earthly or heavenly?

Application

As our ultimate reward is heavenly and given by God, we must be willing to do unseen acts of love and servanthood where only the Father sees.