Wisdom from the Word
From the desk of Pastor Tom
Luke 17:33 “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.”
A Miner’s Tale
The year was 1901. Like 100,000 other men, Sam had been drawn to the promises of the Klondike Gold Rush. For over two years, this prospector had tenaciously endured the hardships that came with a life of searching for the treasured yellow ore that had been discovered in the Yukon. Many of his fellow miners would leave broken and poorer than when they arrived, but not Sam. His sacrifice and suffering had paid off. He was leaving the region with a backpack filled with gold coins and nuggets. He had secured his treasure and would protect this fortune with his life!
There were several methods of transportation that Sam could have used to leave the Klondike, but he chose a riverboat. While a steamer offered a comfortable and swift means of “getting back to civilization”, the river contained some genuine risks. Gigantic logs often washed down the river during the spring floods. Recently, one of these huge timbers had floated down the waterway. Eventually, one of its ends became securely lodged in a pile of boulders that lay deep underwater. Its other end pointed upriver hidden just below the surface of the water. As the riverboat approached, the ship’s captain remained clueless as to the danger.
The impact was swift and efficient. The log penetrated the vessel below its waterline. Like a knife, it cut into the heart of the craft. Within minutes, the ill-fated ship began to sink. The captain frantically ordered, “Abandon ship!” The vessel carried no lifeboats. The river was deep, frigid, and swift. If a person were to survive, they would have to swim to a distant snow-covered bank over one hundred and fifty feet away. Most of the people who jumped from the ship discarded anything that would weigh them down.
When Sam arrived at the railing of the ship, he faced a horrible dilemma. He desperately wanted to live, but he refused to abandon his wealth. The ship continued sink into the water. Its boiler was in danger of exploding. Fellow passengers on the shore pleaded with Sam to save himself. Finally, the prospector made his decision. He jumped into the icy current wearing his heavy coat; his pack securely attached to his back. He immediately sank below the surface of the water and never was seen again. Sam lost his life because he refused to release his grasp on the things of this world.
How Tight Is Our Grip on the Things of This World?
Lot’s wife suffered a similar fate to Sam’s. She found it impossible to release her grip on what she needed to leave behind. (Genesis 19: 1 – 26). Jesus used this woman’s reaction as an illustration as to what will occur when we cling too tightly to the things of this life. “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32).
Because of the Lord’s warning, I believe that it is critical for us to ask ourselves the following questions. If I were forced to chose between denying Jesus or having all my earthly treasures confiscated, what choice would I make? If I am in the final stages of life, will I find it easy or difficult to let go and say “Good-bye”? Or, if a government official offered to halt my execution in exchange for my betrayal of members of my Christian family or renouncing my faith altogether, how would I respond?
I believe that our response to these questions is related to how tightly we are holding on to the things of this world. If our treasures are here, it will be extremely hard to let go. But if we believe that our riches are safely locked away in an account under our name in Heaven, we will be eager to access those eternal assets. Gay and I have begun the process of getting rid of items that we feel are cluttering our life. Maybe it is time for us to begin to let go of the things of this life that will make it more difficult to say, “Good-bye” in the future.
