Читать книгу Beyond the Horizon - Harry A. Renfree - Страница 42

February 05

Margaret Bottome, founder of a women’s movement known as the King’s Daughters, tells of an interesting incident in her life that illustrates what total commitment is.

She was walking along the beach one day when a young friend in a small sailboat passed by. He asked if she was interested in a boat ride and, when she agreed, brought his boat alongside. In trying to step into the boat, Margaret touched the side with her left foot and the boat skidded away. The boat was brought back, and she tried again—this time with her right foot, with the same result. Finally, the young fellow came back for the third time, saying to Margaret, “Why don’t you come in, all of you?”1

It seems to me that there’s a plea here for something we might describe as total commitment rather than tentative sampling, a plea for really being “all out.”

Recorded in Luke is an interesting conversation that Jesus had with three men as He, His disciples, and others trudged a dusty Middle Eastern road.

The first man began the conversation by saying to Jesus: “‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied: ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’” (Luke 9:57–58). That seemed to end that conversation. The way with Jesus was going to be too tough.

Jesus initiated the conversation with the second man by saying, “Follow me.” But the man indicated that his father had passed away and he was needed to look after the burial arrangements. The third man indicated that he would follow Jesus, but first he wanted to go back home and say good–bye, to which the Master responded: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Jesus was not being harsh, but he was simply indicating that with the call to His kingdom, there is no place for tentativeness.

The call of Jesus does come from within, with an enthusiasm to live life on the very highest plane of dedication or, again, as the young man put it, “Why don’t you come in, all of you.