Commander of Passenger
There is an incident in the life of the early disciples when they thought they did not need the Lord Jesus Christ. Is this possible? Indeed it is! As we look into this incident let us remember that it is recorded for our learning.
In the miracle of the Lord showing His power over the deep and the boisterous wind as recorded by Mark, we read that “they took Him into the ship,” as they were going to the other side of the lake (Mk. 4:36).
Another has imagined them saying to the Lord something like this, “Lord, You are weary and tired. Why don’t you take a much needed rest? We can manage the boat all right. Remember that a number of us were fishermen before we followed You, and we know this lake like an open book. We don’t need Your help at all. You have done some wonderful miracles on the land, where You are familiar, but You don’t know anything about sea-faring. That’s our line. Just take it easy, we’ll run the boat. Lie down here in the stern where You won’t be in the way, and we’ll get along fine” (A.V.R.).
You say, “How foolish of them to so treat the Lord! We would never have said those words to Him.” Perhaps not in so many words (to give us the benefit of the doubt) but by our very actions we all say the same thing. I’m afraid that we are just as foolish in our actions if not in our very words.
We know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour. We have taken Him on board just as the disciples did, but that is not sufficient. He wants to be more than a passenger or guest on board our life’s boat. Taking Him as Saviour we must also acknowledge
Him as Sovereign, as Captain and Commander of our lives. It is blessed indeed to know Him as Saviour, assured of sins forgiven, saved from hell, but Christ must become Lord of the life.
The Apostle Paul could say to the Colossians, “That in all things He might have the pre-eminance” (1:18). In our lives He wants not a place along side of others, nor does He even want a prominent place which is going a step farther. He wants the only place. He must have it; and He will have it; and He shall have it. Let us yield allegiance to Him so as to be able to say, “Over me, the Son of God, the Lord from Heaven, incarnate, sacrificed, glorified, absolutely presides. In everything, at every moment, I am under His command. He is my Sovereign, and I am His bondservant.”
They took Him along as a passenger, for Mark tells us that “they took Him” into the ship. They took the initiative (A.V.R.). How many of us do the same! We have the Lord Jesus Christ on board. We are taking Him along with us through life, instead of letting Him take us. How often we hear young Christians ask whether they can take the Lord to this place or that! It is not for you to take Jesus anywhere; He should take you. How many today, as the disciples years ago, take the Lord merely as a passenger, when He wants to be our Commander. He desires to be constantly in command, completely in control.
The disciples soon found out that they did need Him on the sea just as they needed Him on the shore. For this reason the storm was raised, that they might learn that they needed Christ all the time. Oh, how we need to learn this lesson; that we are dependent on Him! He is the Captain of our salvation. He must be more than a passenger, whom we take along. He must be the Commander who controls every avenue of our being.
We must let Him take us! He is our Leader. We must follow Him. What a privilege is ours! We can follow the greatest Leader that ever lived, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain of salvation. Of course, this begins with letting Christ come into your heart. Once you do this, you are saved. You become a real Christian. Then you are in a position to follow the Leader and let Him take you where He wills.
This Captain wants to be the Commander of your life. He wants your life to tell for Him. He wants you to follow every hour of every day of every week. He wants young and old whose hearts are right with God, to stand for Christ, to be led by Him amid all that are living in sin in this wicked and perverse generation.
Are you being taken by Him? Are you being led by the Sovereign Saviour? Are you standing for Christ? Are you telling others that Christ is the only Way? Are you following the Leader, the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know the joy of having Christ constantly in command? Christ completely in control? This should be the aim of your life and mine.
We can only accomplish these things as we yield ourselves unto Him to do His will instead of our own. Only as we let Him take us through life and not our taking Him, will life be a spirited success.
“I need Jesus, I need Jesus,
I need Jesus ev’ry day;
Need Him in the sunshine hour,
Need Him when the storms clouds low’r;
Ev’ry day along my way,
Yes, I need Jesus.”