Let the White Knuckled Ride Begin

February 1, 2016

Let the White Knuckled Ride Begin

One day Jesus said to his disciples,

“Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”

Luke 8:22

We live in a "a squared + b squared = c squared"  world. The Pythagorean Theorem explains a particular circumstance, and it works every time. Every time, without fail. That’s the kind of world we crave, one where there are answers upon which we can securely rest. When the unexpected happens we can be shaken to the core. We want our world to remain balanced and predictable. Alas, such a world is in the land of make believe; it most certainly is not the land of the followers of Christ.

Consider our text for today. The disciples happily scrambled into the boat with Jesus for a little excursion across the Lake of Gennesaret, AKA, the Sea of Galilee. Soon they were shouting “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” They had encountered a fierce storm and as the boat filled with water they were in real danger. Jesus calmed the storm and they were safe again, but as soon as they landed on shore things went from bad to worse. They met the demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes, were almost trampled to death by a herd of pigs, and in response to a mighty display of the power of God “all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them” (Luke 8:37). To say the disciples were plunged all the way out of their comfort zone would be the greatest understatement of the New Testament.

There are many who are under the misunderstanding that when we are flowing in God’s will, our life will be smooth sailing and unabated by adverse circumstances. Jesus provides another perspective: “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues” (Matthew 10:16-17). Ummm, I wonder how many are happily scrambling to get on that bus!

As I stand looking at the open door of Jesus’ bus, I have two thoughts. First, learning to walk by faith is so much more like, a + b = ?, than the neatness of Mr. Pythagoras's theorem. Secondly, in my uncomfortableness standing at the open door, I remember who will be on the bus with me:

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 Matthew 28:20b

Even with a bit of trepidation I say, “Let the white knuckled ride begin.”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.