Who Are Missionaries? by Mrs. Luella L. Harmon

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 3, 1907

Who Are Missionaries?

By Mrs. Luella L. Harmon

MRS. LUELLA L. HARMON

Noah Webster says a missionary is one sent to propagate religion. He evidently had in mind the sending of a person by a church or conference. A real missionary is sent by the One who said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The conference or church is his helper, his coworker.

Christ was the greatest missionary ever sent into this world, and as every true Christian must be a close follower of him, he must be a missionary. As the true follower of Christ is always a Christian, so is he always a missionary.

We habitually speak of those who teach of Christ in heathen lands, or in the wicked cities, or from the pulpit, or from door to door, as the missionaries, forgetting that all who have a mission from Christ are missionaries.

The Redeemer of Israel, but a helpless babe in the manger in Bethlehem, began his missionary work by drawing unto himself three philosophers from the East, and the shepherds from the plains of Bethlehem, and bringing joy to Joseph and Mary, and Simeon and Anna in the temple.

Without doubt the pure, beautiful child-life he lived in the wicked little valley called Nazareth caused some sinful

soul to live nearer God. When he reasoned and talked with the learned men in the temple at Jerusalem, he perhaps brought condemnation to more than one proud Pharisee’s heart. All this was missionary work done before his great work of preaching and healing began.

Every child who, by just living its sweet, pure life, puts a desire to live nearer God into the heart of father, mother, brother, or sister, is a true little missionary. The wife is a missionary when she lives so pure and holy a life that the unbelieving companion sees daily and hourly in her a manifestation of the life of Christ, and decides that her God shall be his God. Likewise is the husband a missionary when his Christian life leads the unbelieving wife to accept his Saviour.

Perhaps none of these preach the gospel except by living it, and there is a saying which is true, that the actions speak louder than words. Talking may be missionary work, though many souls who do much talking would do better work for the Master if they would take up the bodily living. When a true follower of the great Missionary talks, his words are “like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Like him, they speak no idle words.

The pure, holy life; the calm, peaceful face; the sweet smile; the warm hand-clasp; the true gentleness; the never-failing courtesy; the unselfish thought for others; and the modest apparel of all Christians in their daily walk, are silently but surely preaching the gospel to some creature in some part of the world. Moses led his brethren from the enemy’s land. Noah built an ark, and preached to sinners. Job caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy, and searched out those who were in need or in distress. The Levites did service in the Lord’s temple. Sarah cooked food for the angels and her family. Paul and the apostles preached the gospel of Christ, going from city to city and from door to door, carrying the precious light to Jew and Gentile. The Samaritan traveler ministered unto the wounded man by the wayside. Dorcas made garments for the widows and orphans. The widow in Sarepta divided her handful of meal with the prophet Elijah. These all were missionaries, for they were doing something for God and their fellow men.

This is what Christ did every hour of his life upon earth. He lived, and finally laid down his precious life, for his brethren. Every time we send an earnest, fervent prayer to God for those dear ones we have encouraged to go into lands of darkness, or for the heathen souls they seek to save; every time we send them of the gold and silver God has placed in our care, but not our keeping; every Sabbath when we put our coins in the Sabbath-school collections, we are in truth doing foreign missionary work.

The true Christian need never do anything that is not for the Master, or, in other words, he may always be a living missionary.