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TURNING LIFE UPSIDE DOWN #10

The Costs and Rewards of Discipleship

I would not want to be the man identified simply as “Mr. Stanley” in the report we read recently of the last voyage of the British ferry Herald of Free Enterprise.

On March 6, 1987, the huge ship—one-and-a-half times as long as a football field—backed away from the dock at Zebrugge, [zee’-broog-uh] Belgium, headed for Dover, England. But she never got anywhere near the white cliffs made famous in the World War II song about blue birds, shepherds, and little Jimmy.

As the ferry turned and pointed her bow toward England, she suddenly began to list to the port side. Within 40 seconds, the ship was on her side and sinking into the cold waters of the English Channel. Suddenly floors and ceilings became walls. And doorways became chasms that passengers and crewmembers struggling to find their way out of the ship had to get across.

More than one-third of the people on board lost their lives in the worst peacetime British shipping disaster since the sinking of the Titanic 74 years earlier.

As investigators sought the cause, all fingers finally began to point at one Mr. Stanley. Not that the disaster was entirely his fault—investigators also pointed to flaws all through the system that should have guaranteed the safety of the passengers on the ferry—but Mr. Stanley had literally been “asleep at the switch” and had failed to do his duty. He was an assistant boatswain [bosun], and when that ferry had pulled into port, it had been his responsibility to open the gates to let the cars and trucks drive on and off the ship. While the ship was in port, he’d been temporarily relieved of his duties by his boss, and had gone to his cabin to rest.

That’s when he fell asleep. And somehow he managed to sleep through the public address system call that was supposed to alert crew members and get them back to their stations for the voyage to Dover.

And that’s why he wasn’t where he was supposed to be when the ship left port.

And that’s why he didn’t close the bow doors that were supposed to keep water out of the car decks.

And that’s why icy cold seawater suddenly began flowing into the ship at the rate of 200 tons per minute.

And that’s why the ship sank just minutes into its trip.

Just one man asleep at the switch, and nearly 200 people lost their lives. Mr. Stanley’s position, as an assistant boatswain hadn’t seemed all that important up until that day. But suddenly it seemed very important.

This story puts me in mind of two of Jesus’ parables about masters, employees, responsibility, and rewards.

We’ll begin by looking at the parable found in Luke 12:35 and following.

“ ‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;’ ” Jesus says, “ ‘be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; (Luke 12:35-37, NRSV).

Now, when you read this parable, you can’t help but think of another parable about preparedness—the parable in Matthew 25 about the ten virgins on their way to the wedding banquet.

The parable is also very similar to the one that follows it in Luke 12. That parable begins like this: “ ‘Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives’ ” (Luke 12:42, 43, NRSV).

Jesus told many stories that had to do with waiting and with preparedness, and it’s in Matthew’s gospel that we get the clearest picture of the reason for these stories. Because Matthew lumps several of them together, revealing that Jesus probably shared them all about the same time, near the end of His earthly life.

After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus met several times with His disciples to prepare them for what was to come next.

It’s clear from reading the gospels that the disciples expected Jesus to set up His kingdom here on earth immediately. They didn’t expect their Master to go away on a journey, and they certainly didn’t expect to have to wait for Him to return and establish His kingdom.

So, even before His crucifixion Jesus began to prepare the disciples to be His servants “for the long haul.”

Then, after His resurrection, He gave them instructions that would help them to see that these parables applied to them and their future.

The story is told poignantly in the last chapter of the gospel of John. You probably remember it. It no doubt took place not long after Jesus met with the disciples on top of a mountain in Galilee (the story told at the end of the gospel of Matthew). There on the mountain, He had given them the Great Commission to go and preach to all the world. But then, in the last story about Jesus recorded by John, we find the Savior meeting with the disciples again. It comes at a time when they are in great need, because they’re flat broke and they’re having lousy luck as fishermen. In fact, both their stomachs and their nets are empty.

But then Jesus shows up on the shore, cooks them breakfast, and stays by afterwards to talk with them. He especially wants to talk to Peter, who is still feeling guilty for having denied his Master three times, so Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him.

It’s almost like Jesus is saying to Peter, Friend, you fell asleep at the switch! You failed in your duty. Now, come on, do you love Me, or don’t you? Are you My disciple, or aren’t you?

Now, in the parables we’re looking at today, the unfaithful slave who falls asleep at the switch gets punished. And perhaps Peter is thinking, All right, just tell me what my punishment is. But Jesus isn’t interested in meting out punishment, He’s interested in redeeming His friend. Each time Peter answers that, Yes he does love Jesus, Jesus responds by saying something like, All right then, if you’re really My disciple—My servant—then take the faithful servant’s role and provide for those who are part of my household! “ ‘Feed my lambs . . . Tend My sheep . . . Feed my sheep’ ” He says (John 21: 15-17, NRSV).

Jesus knew that this is what His church would need— nourishment, tender care, encouragement—as they waited for His return. Prior to this He had spoken mainly about evangelism—inviting people to be a part of the church—but now He began to apply the lessons of the parables about slaves waiting for their master to return.

These lessons are extremely important for us today as well. Because many Christians have grown discouraged with waiting for Jesus to return. Some have even begun to doubt that Jesus ever will come back, and they’ve begun to act like the unfaithful slave described in Luke 12:45, who said “my master is delayed in coming” and began to beat the other slaves and began to eat and drink and get drunk.

It’s only natural to ask ourselves, from time to time, What does it mean that Jesus hasn’t returned yet? What should we do? What should we be doing while we wait for Him? Growing discouraged? Questioning our faith? Taking advantage of the time by profiteering off from others like the wicked slave in the parable?

Of course not. The parables teach us to be faithful while we wait. To continue providing good spiritual nourishment for the rest of the household while we wait. To take responsibility for our world, to help others grow in faith that the Lord will return, and to assure that we all are ready for that great day!

Notice in the parable that the master returns at a time when his slave least expects it. Here it is in Luke 12:46: “ ‘The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful’ ” (NRSV).

It seems to me that Jesus couldn’t have warned us any more directly that He would return precisely at the time when a lot of people had begun to think He wasn’t going to return soon. But now, I don’t take that as a sign that He will return right away just because a lot of people have begun to doubt. I don’t think He is sitting around waiting for doubt to be at its highest so that He can return. Not at all. He said He would return after the gospel had been preached to all the world (Matthew 24:14). So what He’s actually waiting for is for more people to believe and be ready for His return. Peter explained this in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (NRSV).

Jesus isn’t wanting to sneak back to earth at a time when few are prepared. He’s eagerly waiting and hoping that the church will nurture many into a strong, healthy faith in preparation for His return. He’s waiting for people like you and me to be ready and waiting.

I don’t want to be the one caught sleeping at the switch when Jesus’ final announcement to the world goes out, do you?

No, friend, let’s be among those good and faithful servants whom the Lord will find doing the work that He has given us when He returns!