By: Pastor David Grousnick

Many years ago, the great explorer, Sir Francis Drake, was attempting to recruit a number of young men for an upcoming exploration. He gathered them around and told the group that if they came with him, they would see some of the most marvelous things their eyes could ever behold. Sandy white beaches, juicy fruits, foreign peoples, priceless treasures, and gorgeous landscapes.

And he told them that this wild adventure could be theirs if they came with him. Not one of them enlisted for the journey.

The next day a different group came out. Drake told them that if they came with him, they would encounter storms that would terrify them into tears. Tiger winds would hammer them and blow them off course for months. Water would frequently be scarce. At times they will be so thirsty that their very souls would cry out for simply one drop of water. In short, danger would always be their constant companion.

Drake concluded by declaring that if they could handle these things, the joys of exploration would exceed their wildest dreams. Every single one of them in the group joined Sir Francis Drake that day, some did not even go home to say goodbye to their families, they just boarded the boat eager for the journey.

What made the difference in these two groups?

Why did the first group turn down the mission and the second jump at the chance?

Was the second group different and more adventurous than the first?

The answer is: No. It is not the men who had changed; it was the message.

The first spoke of rewards. The second spoke of challenges.

The first offered comfort; the second promised suffering.

The first tempted them with things; the second seduced them with an experience unlike any other.

I like to think that Sir Francis Drake discovered what Jesus knew all too well. And that is this: The paths that are offered to us must promise to shape us, build our character, change our world view, if they are to have any appeal to us at all.

If we are presented with a challenge that will change, we will be eager for the journey. That is what Luke 5:1-11 is all about – being brave!

So, how brave are we?

Let me tell you a true, but humorous and slightly scandalous story that comes out of the early days of the church.

When the father of Origen, a third century theologian, was arrested for being a Christian, Origen, then only 17, was aflame with the desire to follow his Dad and share in glorious martyrdom. His mother pleaded with him not to go, but the headstrong boy did not want to listen to reason.

His quick-thinking mother did what she could. She hid his clothes. Though Origen stormed and protested, she wouldn’t reveal where they were hidden. He couldn’t leave the house, and so he was unable to volunteer for martyrdom.

Isn’t it interesting? Origen was brave enough to be martyred but not brave enough to go outside naked. Stepping outside without clothing would have sped up his arrest and imprisonment, but it was a step he was unwilling to take.

In a sense, I suspect that talking with a friend about our faith is, for many of us, the equivalent of going outside naked. It makes us uncomfortable. We feel exposed. We declare that we will give our lives for Christ if he should ask it, but to risk a bit of embarrassment for him seems to be beyond our level of discipleship.

How sad. The disciples were willing to forsake everything including the esteem of their friends.

How brave are you?

Have a great and Super weekend!

David Grousnick, is the Pastor at the First Christian Church in Artesia.