C A R L B. G A R N E R

A SECOND CHILDHOOD

The second chapter of Luke is one of the best-known in the Bible. It includes the birth of Jesus and the first years of His life. At the end of this chapter we read of His being ³lost² in the midst of the elders of Israel, asking and answering their questions. Confronted by His mother, Jesus asked this piercing question: ³Know ye not that I must be about my Father¹s business?² (Luke 2:49 NKJV). Even at His tender age He knew there was important business for Him to do. Do we not also have important business to accomplish? If I am to be His disciple, I must also be about ³my Father¹s business.² Do your neighbors and friends even know that you are a Christian? Can they see that you are about your heavenly Father¹s business? Or, are you more concerned about your profession, your job, your relations with your ³boss² than your Father in heaven?

SALT OF THE EARTH
When a person is said to be the ³salt of the earth² today, it often means they are good, dependable, honest people. Biblically, however, there is much more to this phrase. It means that you have an influence, an impact upon your surroundings, the community in which you live, the people you meet. Jesus said, ³Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men,² Matthew 5:13. Salt can have a powerful effect upon every element it touches. But when it loses its ³savor,² when it ceases to have that influence, it is of little value. So it is with a Christian; a person who has the capability and the opportunity to influence others for Christ, but fails to do so, is of little or no value to his neighbors, associates, family or God. Yes, being part of the family of God demands your time, your talent and your energy; but that is part of being ³about my Father¹s business.²

LIGHT OF THE WORLD
The ninth plague brought upon Egypt was a ³darkness which may be felt,² Exodus 10:21. Darkness always seems to represent that which is sinister, fearful, hidden. It was so devastating to Pharaoh that he sought a compromise with God¹s demands. The Christians at Philippi were told they must ³shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life,² Philippians 2:15-16. Who better to dispel that darkness than those who have been ³enlightened² by the Word of God, Hebrews 6:4? No hiding their light ; no secret saints; no compromising with Satan. That is how you ³Let your light so shine before men..and glorify your Father which is in heaven,² Matthew 5:16. That is also what it means to be about our ³Father¹s business.²

³BEAR MUCH FRUIT ² Palestine in the first century was a place that needed fruit-bearing trees, not just shade trees. Jesus spoke of His disciples¹ influence, saying, ³Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples,² John 15:8. This is but another indication that being a Christian involves more than merely occupying a pew at various times in a week. We must ³bear fruit.² That means taking the gospel message to the lost so they can be saved, Mark 16:15-16. It also applies to the fruit discussed in Galatians 5:22-23: ³The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.² It is clear from the nature of this fruit that it is borne in every part of our life, among our neighbors and friends, and even before our enemies. This is every day fruit-bearing, not just on Sunday in the church building. The people of the first century cut down trees that bore no fruit, for they merely took up space and did no good, Luke 13:6-9. Being about our Father¹s business means bearing fruit, not just taking up space.

³GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN² The mandate to ³glorify God² in our life is hardly new; here we discover it again: ³Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf,² 1 Peter 4:15-16. If persecution be our lot in life, let us endure it without complaining. Others, observing the depth of our convictions, may be drawn to such a powerful faith. Early Christians were told, ³Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's,² 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. They lived in an environment hostile to everything Christ stood for, but even in their everyday encounters with those people, the skeptics, they were to glorify God in their body. Their actions, behavior, words and motives were to stand out in bold distinction from the licentious lives of their neighbors. Our ³Father¹s business² must be uppermost in our life. It takes effort, commitment, perseverance--- and love to do so. Some will oppose us, as they did Christ. Some will ridicule us, as they did Christ, John 15:20. He did not flinch in His Father¹s business. It is incumbent upon us to do the same. Have you been about your Father¹s business lately? What about today?