“Also I heard the voice
of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I,
Here am I; send me.” – Isaiah 6:8
The foreman arrives at
the local labor pool, looking for workers.
The group is small today. Only
four potential applicants stand before him.
As he parks, he looks at the first man and exists his truck. “No, he won’t do.” He says to himself. He won’t do, because the first man is not a
man at all. He’s barely a boy. The foreman knows the work, and clearly this
boy is too weak to withstand the labor of the day. Why risk the child’s safety, and the quality
of the work? As he approaches the second
man, immediately his heart is glad.
Though he cannot yet see the second man, he sees he has a truck. A fine truck.
A truck with ladders, saw’s, screwdrivers, and materials. A truck that is organized, and ready for
work. As the foreman approaches, the
second man steps out of the truck with a cell phone glued to his ear. He is forcefully proclaiming “Yes, yes, I
don’t care what it cost just get it done!”
Meanwhile, a second phone is ringing that is holstered on his hip. “Hold on a minute”, he tells the first
caller. He draws the second phone,
glancing at it, he then silences the phone and resumes the conversation with
the first caller. “It was my wife.” He says.
“I’ll call her back, she probably wants to talk about the kids again.” Looking on the scene, the foreman immediately
turns to the third man. “I have seen
this before,” he thinks to himself. “This
man is so occupied with his own work, he cannot do mine.” Finally, he approaches the third. The third man is adequate. About him sits a tool belt, with a few basic
tools. The man sits half prone on the ground, with a nonchalant demeanor that
suggests any moment he could drift off into a deep sleep. “Good afternoon!” The foreman gleefully calls out, getting his
attention. “I am looking for some men to
work, would you be interested?” “I
suppose.” He replies. This is not a very encouraging response, but
the foreman presses on. “Well, you look
fit enough, and I can provide you with what you lack; can you meet me here at
7:00 AM tomorrow?” “Seven A.M.!” The third man replies with a mixture of shock
and disgust. “Why so early?” he
asked. “The work starts at seven.” The foreman replies. “Can I come at nine?” A quick retort. “The work starts at seven.” The foreman says firmly. “Why can’t you just pay me from nine to
five?” With this, the foreman leaves; no
need to waste any more time.
Finally, he comes to
the last man. The last man greets the
foreman as he approaches. “Good
afternoon sir. Are you looking for
laborers?” “Yes.” The foreman replies. “I would like to work.” The last man says. The foreman notices the man’s appearance is consistent
with his words. His tool belt is not
abundant, but it has the necessary things.
His build is not herculean, but his resolve seems to be. He is unencumbered, but prepared. He is motivated, but humble. “Can you meet me here tomorrow at
seven?” The foreman asks. “Of course, I’m an early riser.” The man replies. “The work is hard.” The foreman says. “You will toil and sweat. You will bear the heat of the day, and your
body, along with your mind, with remind you in the still of the night. Can you abide it?” After a short pause, the man lifts his head slightly:
“I will try.” He simply states. “Well, you lack strength, preparation, and
probably a whole lot of knowledge; but what you lack I will provide. If you are willing.” With that, the laborer similes, picks up his tool
belt and says: “Here am I; send me.”
