Chinese Prince's Foundation

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." John 21:21,22 [彼得看见他，就问耶稣说，主阿，这人将来如何。耶稣对他说，我若要他等到我来的时候，与你何干。你跟从我吧。 约翰福音21:21,22]

"What does the great end result have to do with you, Prince? That is Heaven's business. Your business is just to be strong to do good." Mencius ["若夫成功，则天也。君如彼何哉？强为善而已矣。”]

Peter and the other disciples often asked Jesus about the future, and what part each person would play, partly because they were vying with each other for positions of importance in what they thought would be Christ's coming earthly kingdom. But Jesus' replies were basically 1), you must first serve if you are to lead, and 2), just do your own job, and leave the rest to the Father, who will weave it all together. Jesus' view reminds me of what Mencius said to a a Chinese prince:

"A prince lays the foundation of the inheritance, and hands down the beginning which he has made, doing what may be continued by his successors. As to achieving the great end result, that is Heaven's business. What is that to you, O Prince? Be strong to do good; that is all your business."

Foundations & Final Results. Mencius said that the "prince" lays the foundation for those who follow. In our case, Christ laid the foundation for us, his Family, and we are expected to carry on the work. Sometimes, of course, we may wonder just what is the point of what we are doing! But our job, for now at least, is not to understand how it all fits together but to be like Mencius' Prince, whose only job was to "do good" (just as our job is to do the best we can at the specific work our Father has given us).

My work may not seem very important, but I know that
1. My work is a small but integral part of the big picture.
2. Only those faithful in small tasks will ever be given greater tasks. Luke 16:10 [人在最小的事上忠心，在大事上也忠心。在最小的事上 不义，在大事上也不义。 路加福音16:10]
3. What I do today may help lay the foundation for those who follow--or it may weaken that foundation. I trust that today I am building up, not tearing down.

Today, as the shoe ad says, "just do it," with full confidence that if our Father gives us a task to do, it is not "busy work" but important, and he will "work out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." Ephesians 1:11
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