From The Worst To The Best Series

Mary Marrow had just arrived in China as a missionary when

the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900. The leaders of China blamed

the missionaries for the problems of the land, and mobs began to

violently persecute the Christians. They were dragged from their

homes and forced to stomp on a cross or they were killed on the

spot. Mary had come to China to serve these people and see Christ

exalted through her life, and she is what she faced. She didn't even

have a chance to learn the language. When she heard the angry

mob approaching the mission compound she was frightened. She

prayed that God would give her strength as so not to shame the

other missionaries.

Suddenly she did a shocking thing, it was even a shock to her,

for she ran out of the door and faced the mob. She cried out, "I am

no good here! I speak such poor Chinese. So kill me. Save all those

inside, for they have healed your sick, taught your children, and

they love you. Tomorrow you will want them back again, and so kill

me quickly." The soldiers were amazed at the courage of this girl,

and they froze until their captain stirred them up. Then they

attacked and killed her on the steps.

A memorial service was held in the states for Mary. She had

gone out with such great dreams, but at such a bad time that she

died before she could do anything. Twenty years went by and Mary

was almost forgotten. Then one day a well-known Chinese General

by the name of General Fang came to the mission headquarters and

told them this story. He had been one of those vengeful soldiers who

killed Mary. For 20 years he had lived with her words echoing in

his mind, and the vision of her courage painted on his eyes. He

asked himself how she could have been so brave, and when he heard

of the Bible he got a copy and read it. He was searching for the

answer to Mary's courage. He became a Christian and joined the

church, and he became well known all over China as the Christian

General. He purchased Bibles for his soldiers and had classes for

them. Wherever he and his army went in China the crops and the

women were safe. Mary Marrow's life had not been in vain after all.

She didn't even learn the language, but her life made an impact on

masses because through her a man of violence became a man of

peace.

This true story has several paradoxes. It illustrates first of all

that sometimes God uses those who do the least to accomplish the

most. Because this is so we need to be faithful with our little, for

God in sovereignty may use it for great things. The second paradox

is that quite often the worse people become the best people. Never

get so disgusted with a zealous servant of the devil that you forget

that they may become a choice servant of God. And intolerant,

bigoted, violent man can become an apostle of love and peace. This

is precisely what Paul tells us about himself.

Paul tells us in verses 13 and 14 that he was always a very

religious man, and he was zealous in his commitment to Judaism.

Paul becomes a great example of both the danger and value of being

religious. Sometimes we tend to assume that being religious is good,

but the facts of history tell us that religious people have written

some of the bloodiest chapters of history because of their zeal

without knowledge. Religion can actually be a great tool of the devil.

Jesus blasted the Pharisees for their zeal in traveling the

world over to make one convert, but when they win him they make

him more a child of hell then themselves.

Paul was one of those fanatical Pharisees who was literally

working like the devil for the Lord. He violently persecuted

Christians, and all the while was convinced he was doing it for the

glory of God. Fanaticism always does evil with the conviction that it

is good. Finley Dunne said, "A fanatic is a man that does what he

thinks the Lord would do if he knew the facts in the case." William

James said, "Fanaticism is only loyalty carried to a convulsive

extreme." Nothing is so sure of its self as fanaticism. Jesus knew

the fanatical zeal of the Jews, and He knew there would be men like

Paul persecuting His church. He warned the disciples in John 16:2,

"They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming

when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God."

Jesus fully understood the paradoxical nature of religious