Who Is Taking Command?

 

 

Permit me, I beg you,

To focus on the following verses

To bring to your attention

Two options or courses.

 

For this specific exercise

We will ignore the context

To ask the following question

That emerges from the texts.

 

Who is taking command

Depends on which course we take

The second course I recommend

It’s better for our sake.

 

Mark 4:36

 

And when they had sent away the multitude,

they took him

even as he was in the ship.

 

Mark 6:45

 

And straightway

he constrained his disciples to get into the ship,

and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida,

while he sent away the people.

 

A call from a friend

With a homework assignment

Which I eagerly received

And expressed my intent.

 

Hence, the verses above

Which I subsequently analysed

But found nothing

With which I could be surprised.

 

Later, when I called him back

To report on my findings

I was glad I was no longer at school

To receive a chiding.

 

It was after he shared with me

What he had discovered

That I came up with the title

For the following picture.

 

Who is taking command

I need therefore to ask

As in our day-to-day struggles

We engage our tasks.

 

 

Notice the first scripture:

Who is taking command?

Apparently, the disciples are in command

At least, from where I stand.

 

They sent the multitude away

And then they took Jesus

Just like how we operate today

Especially in our rush.

 

Later in the ship

When the tempest had arisen,

The command changed hands

As by fear they were stricken.

 

“Don’t you care that we perish?”

They all cried out,

For Jesus had gone to sleep

And that they would drown

There was little doubt.

 

The winds and waves calmed

When Jesus took control

Just like when he speaks peace

To our troubled souls.

 

Notice the second scripture:

Who is taking command?

It is certainly not the disciples-

Not from where I stand.

 

 

Jesus commanded his disciples

To get into the ship

And to go to the other side

As he saw fit.

 

It was Jesus, notice with me,

That sent the multitude away,

Very unlike the previous occasion

When the disciples had their say.

 

Another tempest at sea

That would test the disciples’ spine

And in the midst of it

 “A ghost!” they all opined.

 

He was walking on the water

As he approached their ship,

I could imagine at that time

They must have had a fit.

 

 

As Jesus climbed on board

The wind suddenly ceased

And as he spoke to them reassuringly

Their fears decreased.

 

However,

 

Whether Jesus is in command

Or we take over the helm,

There is still no guarantee

We won’t encounter a problem.

 

But we can be assured

Of a much better outcome

When we give over to the Master

Ourselves and our problem.

 

Who is taking command?

Is it Jesus the Master or is it you?

If it is not the former

You have a distorted view.

 

Stewart Russell © March 22, 2021