While aware of the ease with which stories can sometimes come into being, we assume the credibility of the following although present confirmation is admittedly difficult. The magazine in which it appeared in the 'seventies is no longer in existence and the founder of the ministry by which it was published has long since passed on.
According to the story, a pastor was hunting in Montana. The weather had turned cold and there was snow on the ground. A stranger was suddenly seen approaching. Upon reaching the pastor he shared a brief message: The pastor should not fail to take his ministry seriously. Present faithfulness to calling would eventuate in even greater avenues of opportunity and service in the era to come. Having so stated, the stranger left. The pastor's astonishment was compounded in the extreme upon observing that his visitor had left no footprints in the snow.
While we cannot vouch for the story's validity, its correlation to Jesus' words is nonetheless striking. Luke 19:11-17, for example, recounts a parable in which our Lord's impending departure was portrayed in terms of a nobleman's journey to a far country from which, upon having been appointed king, he then returns to establish his reign. His servants, in the meantime, are entrusted with his assets and instructed to "do business with this until I come back."
In the parable's continuance, several points are to be noted:
1. Emphasis is on the nobleman's return to his servants as opposed to their transferrence elsewhere;
2. The nobleman's kingdom is established over the area (in this instance the earth) from which he had earlier departed and to which he subsequently returns;
3. Those faithfully discharging their duty during the nobleman's absence are rewarded by advancement to greater levels of honor and authority in association with his reign ("made ruler over ten cities," Luke 19:17; "five cities," vs. 19; "placed in charge of many things," Matt. 25:14-30).
Portrayal here is considerably variant the frequent "religious materialism" of much present song and emphasis: e.g., "I've Got a Mansion..." ad infinitum.) - focus here centering rather on Christ's return to the believing community and their participation in his ensuing reign (Rev. 5:10-11).
The pastor's experience in Montana? Presuming the story to be factual, the stranger's message reiterates that which Jesus had himself shared following his well-known encounter with Zaccheus at Jericho ("while they were listening," Luke notes), concerning service and calling in the era yet to come. The implications are profoundly significant.
Burl Ratzsch
