Thought for Today
Exodus 11:3 The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's officials and in the sight of the people.
2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram.
Acts 8:9 Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great."
Acts 11:24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord.
James Earl Carter, Jr. died this past Sunday. Although he was the 39th President of the United States, he was a man of great faith and humility. Almost every story I have read these past 2 days or report I have heard referred to this former President, not by his formal given name, but simply as Jimmy Carter.
Irrespective of your opinions about his politics, his legacy as President, or anything else about his political life, most of us would probably agree that Jimmy Carter was among the small group of truly great former Presidents. I am comfortable with leaving the evaluation of his Presidential legacy to future historians. Today, I am thinking more about his legacy as a child of God, as a devout Christian.
Was Jimmy Carter a ‘great man’ in comparison to Moses? To Naaman? To Simon or to Barnabas? How long does it take for a general consensus to develop about the greatness of any person? While we are at it, what are the qualifications by which we judge greatness?
Moses is known as the Great Lawgiver. Moses led the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt, through the wandering in the Sinai Desert and to the brink of the Promised Land. Moses received the 10 Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai. During Moses’ leadership the priesthood was established and his brother Aaron became High Priest. Of course, Moses was also a murderer, an exiled felon, a simple shepherd and did argue with God when God called him to service. Was Moses a great man?
Naaman was a military commander, leader of an army. That army was loyal to the king of Aram. “Aram . . . was a historical region mentioned in early cuneiforms and in the Bible, populated by Arameans. The area did not develop into a larger empire but consisted of several small states in present-day Syria.” (en.wikipedia.org) Naaman is primarily mentioned in the Bible because he had leprosy and was cured by Elisha “2 Kings 5:8 that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." Was Naaman a great man?
Simon was a magician. Barnabas was a missionary allied with Paul. Were they great men? How about Paul himself, or the disciples? Were they great men? How do we measure greatness?
I have always been fascinated by President Herbert Hoover and President Jimmy Carter for several reasons. Initially, because they were both first trained as engineers. Hoover was a mining engineer, Carter a nuclear engineer. I find it disquieting that the 2 most well-known ‘engineering’ Presidents are not generally ranked among our greatest Presidents. Something must be wrong with those rankings!! They were engineers!!
Most of the men who have been President of the United States evince some religious faith, at least in their public persona. Many have at best offered only lip-service to their professed faith. I cannot conceive that anyone could make that claim about Jimmy Carter. Last night, in an interview with someone who knew him well, I heard the comment made that every decision Jimmy Carter made during his life was based on his faith. Even a cursory examination of his life should confirm that assessment to even the most skeptical.
Admittedly, the Christian faith may not be the best economic tool to utilize in combatting inflation. It may not even be the best tool to use in international diplomacy. The history of humankind to date does not offer us much evidence by which to evaluate. But, there can be no doubt that Jimmy Carter’s application of his faith to advance world peace or to combat housing insecurity was an inspiration to many. He got the Egyptians and the Israelis to sign a peace treaty! He not only ‘built’ homes, he carried the lumber and swung a hammer! For many, he was the face of Habitat for Humanity. His life itself qualifies him as a great man. We need more great men in governments all over the world.
Stay safe, mourn the loss of a great man, trust God,
Pastor Ray