BE CAREFUL YOU BOARD THE RIGHT SHIP

"And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, 'Let us pass over unto the other side.'  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship.  And there were also with Him other little ships.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.  And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, 'Master, carest thou not that we perish?'  And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still.'  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  And He said unto them, 'Why are ye so fearful?  How is it that ye have no faith?'  And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'" (Mk. 4:35-41).

Much of Mark Four describes Jesus, sitting in a boat by the sea side, teaching the multitudes who had assembled, using parables (Mk. 4:1-33).  After a long day, the crowds dispersed, and when they were gone, Jesus explained the parables to His disciples (Mk. 4:34).  Finally, "when the even was come," Jesus instructed His disciples to accompany Him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (a.k.a. "the Sea of Tiberius" - Jn. 6:1).  And so, He and His disciples set sail to the other side. 

In my forty-three years as a born again believer, I have never heard a single sermon, in which a preacher mentioned the "little ships" which followed Jesus, who was obviously in the larger vessel (v. 36).  And, as a twenty-year retiree from the U.S. Navy, that seems very odd to me!  If the larger vessel, containing Jesus and His disciples was in danger of sinking due to the storm, how much worse must it have been for those in the smaller "ships?"  Mark obviously mentioned them for a reason, but he never tells us of their fate.  Perhaps it is because the person or persons who related the story to him, those who had been there, were so frightened about their own safety, the safety of the others never crossed their minds. 

I don't want to belabor the point too much, but what if the "smaller ships" represent those who try to join themselves to Jesus, on their own terms?  After all, He had sent them away (Mk. 4:36).  Maybe there is a hidden warning to all those who would "work the oars" to get to Jesus.  Maybe the message is, for all who desire to come to Him, they must do so on His terms; they must be invited!  The Word of God does not tell us of the fate of those "little ships," but you and I have seen dozens of examples of folks who "try to be religious" and think that is what saves them.  Just as there is a single, narrow way that leads to heaven, there is only one "ship" that actually makes it there!
 

If you are His disciple, it is because you responded to the Lord's invitation!