Straining at the Oars of Life

The relationship of the original disciples with Jesus was one of ups and downs. Sometimes they were exceptionally brilliant and at other times they were awfully dull. They were slow learners. Jesus at times asked them, "Do you not yet understand?" He even charged them with being hardhearted. Yet, they were not unique in their “on again, off again” relationship with Jesus. That, too, was the experience of Ancient Israel. Sometimes they were on the mountaintop with God and a few days later they were in the depths of the valley; but God was still there for them.

It is thousands of years later in A.D. 2008; yet, things still have not changed. The slaves used to sing a Negro Spiritual saying, “Sometimes I’m up; sometimes, I down; sing glory alleluia.” And despite the many examples we have of the ineffectiveness of this kind of following/discipleship, we still persist in it today. Some of us even take pride in such a relationship taking our cue from what we think was Paul’s relationship as recorded in Romans 7:13-24. Yet, don’t overlook the fact that that kind of relationship ends in wretchedness as Paul shows in v. 24, ”O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?” The torrid relationship of Israel, the disciples, and the person depicted Rom 7:13ff is that of one with self in control—one living a self-directed life—and we must not forget that the essence of sin is self, i.e. living a self-directed life. Don’t overlook what the middle letter in the word sin is "I"—SIN. Real discipleship is the life depicted in Romans 8—the Spirit led life. It is the antidote for the up and down, on again, off agian, relationships Christians have with God.

Yet there is something else that is comforting in this week’s study. The disciples were out on the storm tossed lake. They were straining at the oars because the winds were contrary. Mark says Jesus saw them in this activity. This is what is comforting to me and can be helpful to you, too. Though physically absent from them, Jesus was aware of their circumstance. This means that when we strain at the oars of life with its difficulties; when we think we are alone and that no one cares, Jesus, though physically absent, does see and does care. And, just as he did for those disciples, he will come to us at the hour of our greatest need, as I point out in my book, Called to Discipleship, p. 103. Discipleship has ups and downs and the keys to success are persistence, perseverance, faith, and trust in the watchful care and concern of a loving, beneficent God. And, never forget that your discipleship attitude determines your discipleship altitude.