Educational work has played an indispensably great part in the scheme of missions.  But the purpose of it, of course, is to make an open door for the entrance of Jesus into men’s lives.  It is invaluable in itself alone, regardless of any other purpose.  But the teacher of any sort of learning in the mission school, who is chiefly absorbed in the teaching itself instead of using it as a means to something higher, is missing the whole purpose of his work.

And what words can be used strong enough in speaking of the blessed work of medical men in foreign-mission lands?  These skilled, patient, faithful men and women in hospital and dispensary and private service are doing a work of incalculable value.  It should be done even if the bodily results were all.  But the underlying purpose through it all is to lead men to know Jesus.  And no one has such a short, quick road into a man’s heart as he who can relieve his body.

These things are doorways into men’s lives; and great doorways, too.  They are well worth all the money and lives expended if they went no farther than body and mind and better conditions.  But the main purpose in them is to find a way into men’s hearts, and take in Jesus; that so men may get the greater as well as the less.

Make it a Story.

Now, how shall we best tell men of Jesus?  Well, the modern newspaperman’s rule in his work is this:  “Make it a story.”  This is his leading rule in all his writing work.  Whatever the occasion may be, whether a meeting of scholars or an accident on the street, it is to be put into story-form.  That is the ideal toward which he works.  All the descriptions, and quotations, and information, and philosophizings are to be woven into this web.  They know that a story is the easiest thing to read and to listen to, and also the hardest to tell well.

That should be our rule here:  Make it a story about Jesus. When it comes to talking the Gospel to a group of people, large or small, in New York or Shanghai, make it a story.  Wherever you may begin the story, see that its purpose is to lead up to Jesus.  You may use twenty-five minutes in getting your story out, and then put the Jesus touch in the last five minutes.  But as they go away that last five has given its flavor to the whole half-hour’s talk.  Or, you may begin with Him, and so run through.  But the rule should be:  Make it a simple, natural, attractive story, such as people will want to listen to, because it interests them.

That means a lot of hard work in preparation.  The simpler and easier and more natural it seems to the crowd the more it will have cost you in study.  You will have to study so carefully that they won’t guess you have studied at all.  You must absorb this Bible story, bit by bit, through and through, until it becomes a bit of yourself.

You must use books that help make this Book clearer and plainer.  That is really the mission of biblical books, to make the Book plainer.  If they send you to the Bible they have fulfilled their mission.  If you stay in them, they have failed.