When my husband and I taught English as a Second Language (ESL), we tutored a young Chinese couple. The subject for that evening’s discussion was ‘The Purpose of Life’s Work and How it Differs from a Vocation. With a topic like that, there was bound to be a profound Chinese question, right? Totally different than what we were anticipating, however.
The four of us sat at a round table in the commons of our church. We discussed the significance of life. Why do people exist? What matters in life? Career? Vocation? Job? Family? Happiness?
However, the man seemed preoccupied with writing something in Chinese on a small notepad as his wife talked with us in her broken English. He slid the notebook over to his wife.
“Does he have a question we could try to answer?” I asked.
She looked from the notebook to me. “He ask, ‘If Jesus be good, why He make mother so sad?'”
Now there’s a profound Chinese question!
I knew immediately he was referring to Jesus’ death on the cross – the topic we had discussed the previous week at ESL. He must’ve been thinking about that all week. No wonder he did not participate in our conversation. “That is something I have not considered before,” I answered.
Burt and I jumped into “wing it” mode and decided to explain more of who Jesus was and try to tie it into the night’s predetermined topic. We explained, and the wife translated. “By vocation, Jesus was a carpenter, but His purpose in life was to die on the cross for the sins of the world. And yes, that made His mother very sad – for a time – but Jesus’ work on the cross was different from a vocation. We went on to say, “Those who believe in the finished work of Jesus, would have eternal life, but those who rejected Jesus would be forever separated from God.”
We talked about the extraordinary kindness and compassion Jesus showed His mother while in extreme suffering on the cross. He asked His friend and disciple, John, to care for His mother.
The Chinese man went back to writing feverishly on the notepad. “What is eternal life?” he wrote.
I realized that people from other cultures may not know about eternal life by grace through faith. Our conversation veered away from the purpose of life’s work to eternal life and its purpose. “Jesus died for our sins because of His great love for all people,” my husband said. “Jesus showed love and kindness toward His mother by providing John to comfort and to care for her,” I added.
“Jesus’ mother grieved uncontrollably, as did His friends and followers,” I said. “But then, three days later, Jesus arose from the dead,” Burt finished. His mother, His friends, and His followers now understood what Jesus had told them prior to His death – that His purpose in life was to come to do the work of redemption. And that meant dying on the cross. His mother, His friends, His followers were no longer sad, but exceedingly joyful. Jesus had accomplished His purpose.