BURN THE SHIPS!

2 Samuel 9:1-11:27; John 15:1-27; Psalm 119:9-64; Proverbs 16:1-3

“’Don’t be afraid!’ David said. ‘I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!’”

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”

“Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.”

“People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

One of the things my wife gets asked frequently is how we (meaning she, I think) has made our marriage last these almost 29 years now.  She mentors a group of young Moms, several of whom saw their parents break up when in their 40s. They are determined not to allow the same thing to happen to their marriages, but aren’t sure how to go about it. My wife gave them a lot of good advice about communication, dealing with problems head on, not putting all the attention on kids and making a priority of the marriage. But we both know better. Things like communication and prioritization are wonderful and very important, but they are not the absolute bedrock of any marriage. They are what grows out of a deeper, stronger and much simpler foundation. The foundation of our marriage is just that, in the power of Jesus Christ, neither one of us has ever even considered any other alternative. We cherish, honor and love each other exclusively because we said we would, period. Don’t misunderstand; “simple” does not mean “easy.” There have been difficulties. But like Cortez burning his ships, we eliminated the option of failure because we made a mutual decision to absolutely and unquestionably commit to each other on a going forward basis. We don’t “look at the menu.” And the sanctuary and security each of us finds in the dedication of the other more than makes up for all our “little eccentricities.”

It’s interesting what a reliable promise can do for a person, or a relationship. David remembered his promise to care for Jonathan’s family, even after his friend died in battle. He took Mephibosheth in and made him a son. Mephibosheth had his own doubts and fears, with good reason. He was Saul’s grandson, potential lawful heir to the throne by blood, and such did not usually last long in the presence of conquering kings of other tribes. But David would not be put off. He lived here by a higher standard than the rules of conquest. He lived by the Promise. Consequently, David made a potential enemy a son against all political and practical considerations. Because David considered no alternatives, Mephibosheth was restored.

Christ offers us the same commitment. Jesus promises to love us and that, if we remain in Him, we will bear fruit and become His adopted sons and daughters. Here, we do see the only alternative to the Promise: rejection. It is not, however, an alternative Christ allows Himself. It is a choice only we can make. But if we take Him seriously, it’s an option that makes no sense whatsoever.

One could argue Jesus’ Promise itself doesn’t make much sense – from His perspective, anyway. Why would the ruler of the universe be concerned about such as the likes of us? Why would my wife decide to love me? But that’s the beauty of a promise. It doesn’t have to make sense. It just has to be, and be honored without question, without alternatives.

Jesus went to the Cross because He allowed Himself no other option. It’s not that He didn’t have a choice, or was incapable of doing anything differently. He just made a decision and stuck to it. “Not my will, but thine.” No Plan B. All or nothing. He burned the ships out of a single-minded, crazy and inexplicable love for us. We can certainly reject the Promise, but it will never be broken on His end. How it would lighten my load of guilt and inadequacy to take more seriously that I can rest securely in His love without fear of it being taken away! What would it mean in my life to be as single-mindedly committed to Jesus as He is to me?

Relationships fail when there are other alternatives. We stumble when we explore “opportunities” apart from Christ. Only God’s promises can revive us. There is no real alternative but to believe. We need to quit playing games with the Spirit. Burn the ships. Follow Him.