The Responsibility of Greatness Overlooked
Thomas Jones. Matthew 18:2-5 And Jesus called a little child to him, and set him in the middle of them,… To be first in the world is a thing of great responsibility. To be first is very pleasant. Yes. but it has a burden of responsibility. To be the first poet — the fierce rays of criticism beat upon you; to be the first preacher, the first minister — it is a most solemn responsibility. Nothing is expected of a delicate flower but that it should be beautiful and just give a little fragrance. Everybody is satisfied with the flower if it will do these two things. But a large tree upon which nature has expended years of time and care, and made the trunk massive, and the boughs wide, and the foliage thick and rich, a tree that nature has taken years of trouble with, much is expected front that Oh, delicate flower, if thou art beautiful and hast a little fragrance nobody wilt blame thee; but a great, massive tree, everybody will blame thee. and thy foliage, and thy massiveness, except thou bringest forth much fruit. Like the delicate flower is the man with one talent, the humble Christian man, doing his duty. walking humbly with God. I think myself that is the finest life in the whole world, incomparably the most blessed life in the world — not to be rich. not to b,-very poor, to have a little home of your own, surrounded by those you love and by whom you are loved, unobserved by the world around, like the delicate flower, just being beautiful and giving forth fragrance. The world never critise you, never says anything about you: you pass on doing your duty, you lay your throbbing head down in death, you shall rest and go home and be with God, and the report of your doings shall be read in another world than this. The responsibility of being first is very great, and the criticism upon those who are first is very fierce. Plant the sapling in the valley, it shall have shelter, — put the same sapling on the mountain top, and the fury of every element shall be expended upon it. There are men in England, authors, statesmen, and preachers, upon whom every element, good, bad, and indifferent, at the command of criticism comes in all its fury expending its strength upon them. I would not be one of them for any earthly consideration. I would not be first in England for the possession of a nobleman's estate. To be in such a position, especially as Tennyson says, "in the fierce light of the throne," is to he in a position of solemn responsibility. My friend, if God has not called you to be very prominent you have reason to thank God that He has consented you should live a quiet, reverent, honest, generous, Christian life. uncriticised, unpraised, and unabused. (Thomas Jones.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, WEB: Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the midst of them,