Day 21 Brave

Ive just watched a documentary about Earnest Shackleton and the unbelievable story of the rescue of the crew of the Endurance.  His boat was crushed in the ice in Antarctica in 1915 and the crew ended up on the iceflow with three lifeboats and a few supplies.  After weeks of living in a makeshift camp and eating seals and penguins Shackleton decided he would have to row to South Georgia for help.  He took five men with him and they rowed for 17 days in arctic waters in a wooden boat, miraculously making it to their destination.  But they landed on the wrong side of the island so then had to walk for 20 hours over mountainous snow covered  terrain which had never before been crossed to reach the whaling station.   As soon as they got there they immediately commandeered a whaling boat to go back and pick up the rest of the crew, all of whom had survived in the antarctic weather and only an upturned lifeboat for shelter.  They had 4 days of rations left.  Its an extraordinary story of grit and courage and determination, friendship and leadership and loyalty.  It reminded me of one of the most quoted of all scriptures    John 15:13  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Rom 5;7-8)

Shackleton and his men were adventurers.  They had signed up for a dangerous mission and they must have all been well aware that there was a chance they wouldnt make it home. They were brave.  There are brave people all over the place - you probably know some.  People who are up for a challenge or who are facing difficulties head on with character and good humour.  The men on that expedition must have become good friends over the months that they were together.  They depended on each other for their survival.  Shackleton, as their leader, must have had a choice - stay with his men on the ice to face eventual certain death, or risk his own life on the slim chance that he might be able to make it to some sort of rescue point.   I suppose its a no- brainer. Either everyone dies or perhaps some or all survive. Someone had to go.  

I wonder if Shackleton would have wanted to go if the crew of the Endeavour had hated him.  If they had been plotting to kill him. Would he have ventured into the unknown in a flimsy lifeboat to rescue them then?  Would he still have rowed for 17days and trecked for 20 hours on no food in appalling weather to rescue men who were subsequently going to murder him?   Probably not.  Because a man might possibly dare to offer himself up for a friend, but not an enemy.  We would all like to think that we would take a bullet for our kids - but would we take one for Putin right now?   Hmmmmmm......

Jesus was incredibly brave.  His courage was off the scale. He was terrified but did it anyway.  He went to the cross to rescue a world which rejected and hated Him and wanted Him dead.  We can hear the stories of heroic people who have done selfless things and be blown away by their greatness.  But nothing can compare with the selfless magnanimous substitution of Jesus. His outrageous love puts every act of human bravery in the shade.  Thanks be to God,