In his excellent little book, The Life of Christ, James Stalker divides our Lord’s ministry into three parts: the year of obscurity, the year of favor, and the year of opposition. The second of these was not all we would think it to be. For one thing, the year that followed would keep most of us from being desirous of popularity. Jesus knew what was in the human heart; He knew the fickleness in man. Full well did He know the ones who shouted “Hosanna,” today would scream, “Crucify him,” tomorrow. Because of this He sought the shadows.
The best work is usually done in secret. Elijah had a public ministry, Elisha a private one; interestingly, the latter did twice the miracles of the former. In the Bible, it seems Closed Door Ministries generally bear the most fruit.
We sometimes use little idioms to describe life. Sayings like “Every man and woman will have their day in the sun,” (that is, your time of deserved recognition and appreciation). But those of us who have experienced “our day in the sun” will tell you, it was not as hot as we thought it would be. It was just that: “a day.” And those days are brief, at best!
Each of us should live not for “our day in the sun”; but rather, “that day before the Son.”
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