Down with the Ship
Originally scheduled for February 12
Recent newscasts brought us the image of an
Italian cruise ship lying on its side after a collision with some
large rocks. It's rather embarrassing for a cruise line to have
pictures of your ship broadcast all over the world when it's lying
90° to the vertical. It's even more embarrassing when the press
reveals that the captain of the ship, contrary to all tradition,
abandon the ship quite quickly. A number of people died which of
course makes this a most serious incident. But have you ever asked
where this tradition of the captain going down with the ship got
started?
Veterans of the United States Navy have a
simple explanation for this. The captain signs for the ship,
financially. If the ship goes down he has to stay in the Navy until
he earns enough money to repay the Congress for the ship. At Navy
salaries this is going to take a long time. It's cheaper to go down
with the ship.
The real reason for this tradition is, however,
rooted in the task the captain has: leadership. It is a fact in
warfare that some men may be required to die so that others might
live. A ship in combat might require its engineering group to stay
in the engine rooms to the very last second so that others might
fight the fires above them. It is drilled into the sailor that the
ship comes first. Very often good leaders will tell you, "I won't
ask my people to do anything that I wouldn't be willing to do
myself." If you're the captain, that includes going down with the
ship. Such leadership is not confined to the time of a sinking; good
leaders know that they must take care of those who are following
them.
Look at this concept as it applies to our
leader, Jesus Christ. All of us are required to die, for all of us
are sinners. It would be easy for Jesus to claim the exemption from
this because he is the only sinless man. He did not do this. Look at
his example:
·
Even though he did not deserve death,
he was obedient to the Father's will, and accepted death.
·
Remarkably, he did this without
complaining. Indeed, often he spoke not at all.
·
Most remarkable of all is this: he
forgave those who executed him.
This is the example we have; this is the
example we follow. In communion we remember the sacrifice Jesus
made. Let us also remember how he made it: in obedience, humility
and love. He did this for you and for me. He asks that we take this
communion meal so that we might remember the example our leader has
set.
