Good In The Head; Not The Hand

Many examples flood to mind when one sees this title or heading. Good in the Head but not in the hand tells us some very important and needed facts about Christian service or service in Christ. We have already been reminded that Jesus has said that none of His servants can or must ever think of herself or himself as more than He, who is Master, Leader, Teacher and Example.

Through today and tomorrow, you will be brought a few snapshots of the beauty of our Ever-Living, Ever-Humble Master. These have been chosen for us, word pictures, which the Spirit Himself will bring alive in all who by faith, receive.

It’s like one who is reading words from a book or on a page, when suddenly, as if out of the clear blue, these words come alive in one’s spirit and the actual words begin to miraculously take form and live. Have you never been listening to someone or reading the works of someone and the Holy Spirit simply takes over in ways that confound and surprise even you? You find yourself getting up from where you are, with your head full of all the good thoughts and ideas and before you know it, you are literally carrying out the Lord’s command. More often than not, it is a work, an action, which is against your nature and grain.

That is what we are looking at as things which are good in mind, good thoughts, noble ideas, charitable wishes, but nothing is ever done about them. They remain high in the mind, in the head, but never reach the hands. Isn’t this the faith James warns against? Listen to this familiar passage of Scripture from James 2: 14 - 17. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Aren’t we being told that as good as our faith-thoughts are, as noble and admirable as they may be, for all the good that they are, they are worth absolutely nothing, if the hands are not working in partnership with the head.

These snapshots of the beauty of our Ever-Living, Ever-Humble Master and Lord show the way of our Saviour’s mercy and grace. The first is of how Jesus brought all that was in His Head and Heart to His Hands as He walked a most beautiful and humble path. There is Jesus, the busy and great Rabbi, on His itinerant road with much work to be done, being stopped by people who are simply bringing children to Him for a blessing. There is absolutely nothing to indicate that these children are ill, sick, demon possessed or in any way in dire need of Jesus’ miraculously healing touch. They are little children and were definitely not brought to listen to Jesus’ teaching and preaching. Mark 10: 13 reliably informs us of this. People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them. But the disciples rebuked them. Can you see how Jesus lifts down, as it were, all that He has in His Heart and Head, and lowers His Hands to pick up little children in His Arms? He took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10: 16.

Is this not beauty and humility at its highest, in its lowest? Is this not the only way, when the good in our heads reaches our hands, that we become imitators of our Master?

Receive

From head to hand the water is brought low,

To feed the thirsty one who is there, down below,

The good in the head must be brought to a low place,

The way of our Loving Saviour’s mercy and grace.