When hunting in the early morning, a person’s eyes adjust to the approaching sunlight. At first, you cannot see exactly what a distant object may be, but, as the sun rises, the object comes into full vision. As pastors, do we ever lose sight of who we truly are? Can our vision become distorted?
David Seamands in Healing Grace tells about a funeral which happened in 1916. Emperor Franz-Josef I of Austria had died, and his funeral was the last of the extravagant imperial funerals. There was a huge procession with lit torches, dignitaries dressed in black, and military bands playing dirges. The procession eventually arrived at the Hapsburg family crypt at the Monastery in Vienna, and behind the crypt door was the Cardinal-Archbishop of Vienna. The procession officer cried “Open!” The Cardinal responded, “Who goes there?” The procession officer said “We bear the remains of his Imperial and Apostolic Majesty, Franz-Josef I, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Defender of the Faith, Prince of Bohemia-Moravia, Grand Duke of Lombardy, Venezia, Styrgia”… and so forth through his 37 titles. The Cardinal replied “We know him not,” and then asked a second time “Who goes there?” The procession officer then gave an abbreviated title for Franz-Josef I. The Cardinal had the same reply of “We know him not.” He then asked a third time “Who goes there?” The procession officer then said, “We bear the body of Franz-Josef, our brother, a sinner like us all.”
Guys, that’s it. Past the titles, the degrees, the education, and the name is the fact that we are sinners. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 is such an interesting passage because it states that we stand in the power of the Lord. The only way that we can stand as pastors is to stand in His power. Have you ever been hard-pressed? Stand. Have you ever been perplexed? Stand. Have you ever been persecuted? Stand. Have you ever been struck down? Stand!