Burn The Ships!

Jesus keeps in tension things that normal don't linger with each other, and coincide.  

For example, in John 15, Jesus keeps in tension warm love -- and -- radical obedience.   I mean right after declaring that to abide, remain in Him - we must remain in His love (John 15:9) -- Jesus declares -- that it is only as we "...keep [His] commands you will remain in [His] love -- just as I [Jesus] have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love”  (John 15:9-10).   

And so abiding in Jesus and His love is not a mushy, sentimental thing – rather it’s a concrete, action-oriented reality – that is lived out in lives that obey Jesus – radically abandoning everything – but Him.  

Hernan Cortes was a noted Spanish explorer – who conquered much of South America against impossible odds.   But he did so in a gutsy – radical fashion.   Why upon landing his entourage of 11 ships on the coast of Mexico – he declared to his men – that there was no turning back.  That there was only on option -- the option of total commitment to the mission.   Well his 663 men rolled their eyes -- for the native population they were to conquer numbered 5 million; a difference of 7,541 to 1.  But Cortes was resolute: total obedience to the mission was the only option. And with that he did a shocking thing.  Turning toward his fleet of 11 ships – the ships that had safely transported them – the ships that had been their refuge – Cortes gave a startling – mind-numbing order:  burn the ships; yes burn the ships!  And sure enough – they burned the ships – and Cortes’ men went onto victory – as they realized – that there was no turning back – the future was only found in the mission.  (Adapted - Mark Batterson, All In – Kindle edition – location 541).  

         

Our future is only found in the mission, the mission of Jesus.  But we’ll never find our future, we’ll just roll out eyes – unless we too ‘burn the ships’ – relinquishing anything that is our refuge, our transport -- other than the Savior.

Our refuge, our transport, other than Jesus? -- might be a dependence on a familiar routine – might be an attachment to a charismatic personality – might be a fixation with a compelling ideology, hobby or addiction. 

Whatever your refuge, your transport -- other than Jesus – relinquish it – and move on with Him – toward the next leg of His adventurous mission.   

Adapting Joshua’s words in Joshua 3:5: “Consecrate yourselves [to Jesus and His Cause] -- for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you…” (Joshua 3:5).