In the year 1812, Adoniram Judson left the united States for the nation of Burma, the first American international missionary. Judson worked, sacrificed, suffered, and honored the Lord in that difficult land until his death in 1850, nearly thirty-eight years later. The work in Burma was incredibly difficult, and Judson only baptized his first convert after seven hard years of toil. Judson would suffer sickness and imprisonment and would grieve the deaths of two wives and seven of his thirteen children. Eventually, Judson would successfully translate the Bible into Burmese, develop the first English-Burmese dictionary, see many people come to Christ, and help many missionaries take up the cause.
In 1845, after 33 years overseas, Judson returned to the United States for the first time, grieving the death of his second wife who died on the journey. Arriving in Massachusetts, Adoniram expected that no one would think anything of him or his work. But the missionary was surprised. Among churches in New England, especially Baptist churches, the name of Adoniram Judson had become legendary. And during his time in the states, Judson was overwhelmed with what he believed to be too much attention.
During his visit, Adoniram regularly refused to tell missionary stories that would fascinate people about him or his work, sometimes refusing to speak to groups at all and sometimes speaking only simple, gospel messages. After one such presentation, a lady named Emily, who would soon become Judson’s third wife and join him on the mission field, asked Adoniram about why he did not give the people more of a story. Here is how a biographer of Judson explained the exchange:
As he sat down [Emily recollected]… it was evident, even to the most unobservant eye, that most of the listeners were disappointed. After the exercises were over, several persons inquired of me, frankly, why Dr. Judson had not talked of something else; why he had not told a story … On the way home, I mentioned the subject to him.
“Why, what did they want?” he inquired; “I presented the most interesting subject in the world, to the best of my ability.”
“But they wanted something different—a story.”
“Well, I am sure I gave them a story—the most thrilling one that can be conceived of.”
“But they had heard it before. They wanted something new of a man who had just come from the antipodes.”
“Then I am glad they have it to say, that a man coming from the antipodes had nothing better to tell than the wondrous story of Jesus’ dying love.”1
There is something beautiful in Judson’s response to Emily. People admired the legendary missionary. But for his part, Judson wanted people to glory in Jesus.
1 Courtney Anderson, To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1987), Kindle Edition, 431.
Pastor Travis Peterson 