Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.
It is a truism to say that a preacher is a messenger. As a messenger he must be trustworthy, reliable. His message must be both true and dependable. When he does so he is like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time. Harvesting is by definition thirsty work done in warm conditions without rain. In the days before refrigeration the idea of a snow-cooled drink was a welcome but exotic idea, there being obvious obstacles to bringing it about. It is a wonderful picture, however. A weary labourer stops in the midst if his huge task and his thirst is slaked with a snow-cooled drink. That is a picture, in part, of the task of the preacher. What is striking here is that to be true to the proverb one has to think chiefly not of the refreshment enjoyed by the preacher's hearers but by God himself, the one who is the preacher's master. Literally the idea is of the master being moved or turned by the trustworthy messenger. Preachers often think of how to move their hearers and refresh them but the thing to aim at is moving or refreshing the Lord himself. The way to this is not by means of gimmicks but by being faithful to the Word we are preaching.
No comments:
Post a Comment