Memory Verse: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17
In San Francisco, California there is an area called “Chinatown.” As the name suggests, the people who live in this section are Chinese. There are many who don’t speak English, especially among the older people. They speak only the Chinese language.
A Gospel work to reach these Chinese-speaking people had been going on for some time. The preacher, himself a Chinese Christian, had rented a small room on a street in Chinatown to preach the Gospel. There were wooden benches on which to sit. Bible verses in Chinese characters were on posters hanging on the walls. The preacher passed out many Chinese tracts and invitations to the Gospel meetings. He also had a Sunday school for the Chinese children. It was in the Sunday school that Lotus had heard the story of the Lord Jesus Christ and had accepted Him as her Saviour.
Lotus combed her straight black hair, then went to find her grandfather, Ching Lee. She said to him in Chinese, “Come, honorable grandfather. It’s time for the Gospel meeting.” Ching Lee grumbled and refused to move from his chair.
Lotus sighed. She could go on alone to the meeting without her grandfather, “but he doesn’t know about Jesus,” she told herself. She had prayed every night that her old grandfather would be saved.
“I’m too tired to go tonight, small granddaughter,” he said slowly.
“But Grandfather, you promised! And you’ll like the singing.” Lotus pulled at his coat sleeve as she talked.
“Singing?” Ching Lee did enjoy singing. And besides, he really had promised her that he’d go. He began to get up, moving stiffly, and reached for his cane. “Hurry up, Lotus child! I want to hear the singing.”
Grandfather walked so slowly that the first hymn was finished before Lotus had him seated near the front of the meeting room. Then there was more singing, and Lotus joined in with the other children and the few grownups who were there. The old man smiled as he listened, his body swaying with the music. The musical voices of the Chinese audience came to an end with the hymn "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” and the preacher began to pray.
Ching Lee had been sitting with his eyes closed. As the preacher began to speak, Ching Lee had an idea. He slowly placed one of his fingers into each of his ears. Now he didn’t have to listen to any of the preacher’s stories!
Lotus pulled on his sleeve and tried to get him to listen. Ching Lee yawned noisily several times, but refused to remove his fingers. He looked at one of the posters hanging on the wall. In Chinese characters were printed the words, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord...” Ching Lee read no further. He closed his eyes, pushed his fingers still further into his ears and shuffled his feet.
As Ching Lee sat with his eyes closed and his ears plugged, a fly came buzzing around him. It landed on the bald spot on the top of his head. Ching Lee opened his eyes and unstopped his ears as he made a swing to swat the fly. As he did that he heard the speaker say, “who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:43. Back into his ears went his fingers, but the Word of God had entered. Instead of closing his eyes this time, he watched the preacher’s face. The fly returned and again Ching Lee swatted at it.
“Who hath ears to hear,” repeated the preacher.
Ears? Yes, Ching Lee had ears and ears were for hearing. Maybe he had better listen after all. He slowly removed his fingers. The preacher was describing a farmer who owned a large field. He had sown good seed in his field. It made Ching Lee think of the rice fields called paddies in which he used to work when he was in China. The preacher continued, “But an enemy came and sowed bad seed in the same field! And the good and the bad seed grew together until harvest time. Then the tares from the bad seed were separated from the good and were burned in the fire.”
The speaker went on to explain that those who were listening were either tares or good seed, and that it was God who would be the judge. He explained the way of salvation through faith in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross to wash away sins.
As Ching Lee listened to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart. The fly returned, but Ching Lee didn’t even hear it buzzing. Jesus the Son of the living God had died for him — for Ching Lee!
After the meeting Ching Lee said he wanted to talk with the preacher. Lotus was very excited as she led her grandfather to him. She walked quietly around the room praying silently as the preacher talked with her grandfather.
Finally, Ching Lee slowly rose and called, “Lotus child, take me home. I’m tired.”
She looked up into his face as she took his arm to help him. She wanted to ask him if he had accepted Jesus into his heart as his Saviour, but she waited for him to speak.
He smiled down at her and said, “Lotus child, your God is my God now. I have believed in the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. I hear singing, small granddaughter, and it is inside of me. My heart is singing, child!”
Lotus and her grandfather were both very happy as they walked home. There was not only joy in their hearts, but the Lord Jesus said, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10.
ML-12/22/1985