So What's In A Number?

Have you ever noticed how numbers tend to grab our attention -- especially large numbers?  For instance, when you hear the lottery is worth over $20 million, those of us who usually don't give the lottery a second thought head to the store to buy a ticket!

There is nothing inherently wrong with numbers.  They merely represent the quantity of a thing being measured.  But, when we equate numbers with something more than the mere quantity of a thing, we run into problems.  In particular, when we use mere numbers to measure or define "success" we enter dangerous territory.  This is especially true when dealing with people.

For example, you invite 50 people to a party and only 15 show up.  Is the party a failure because so few people showed up?  Or was it a success because you had the opportunity to spend more time getting to know the people you invited.  You plan an event expecting 500 people the participate and only 150 people arrive. Is the event a total failure?  Or was it a success because the passion in the 150 people that showed up deepened to a new level.  

Recently, I've been looking at the life and ministry of Jesus.  It's true that Jesus preached to many people in the synagogues.  In fact, crowds often followed Jesus wherever He went.  Most of us are familiar with the time Jesus fed 5,000 with just a couple loaves of bread and a few fish. (NOTE:  the number 5,000 only denotes the men present; women and children were not counted. This points to another problem with numbers -  "someone" determines who gets counted...)  But, if you look at the life and ministry of Jesus, you will see He was not moved by numbers - He was moved by the lives of individual people.

For example, when the outraged religious leaders of a community brought a woman caught in adultery before Him to be stoned, Jesus was not moved by the mob; rather, He was moved with compassion by the sobs of the woman laying prostrate before Him.  Another time, as Jesus was entering the town of Nain, a large crowd was following Him.  However, what captured His attention was the overwhelming grief of a widow and mother whose only son was about to be buried.  

It's not that Jesus didn't care about the crowds, it's just that for Him, numbers did not represent success, but rather the desperate need of those in the crowd.

It's also interesting to note that with all the crowds that followed Him, Jesus could have chosen several hundred of these followers to be His disciples.  However, He only chose twelve.  Undoubtedly He had many other followers than the original twelve (i.e., He sent at least 72 followers out to carry His message of the kingdom from town to town).  But, when He hung on the cross and suffering horribly, only one of the twelve, John, was standing at the foot of the cross.  Peter denied knowing Jesus three times the night before.  And Judas betrayed Him for just 30 pieces of silver.  At the foot of the cross the crowds disappeared.  In fact, from a numbers standpoint, Jesus' earthly ministry was a spectacular failure.  

Perhaps, that's why, for Jesus, it was never about numbers.  In fact, I believe that's why He said, "For where two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am among them." (Mt 18:20)

So, the next time you are tempted to equate numbers with success or failure, I challenge you to see numbers for what they are -- the measure of a mere quantity, not a measure of success or failure.