Caspar was a great Saint Bernard dog who lived far up on the Alps mountains. He was a king of the snow, every inch of him. Though not a very old dog, he had already saved two lives.
One day early in the morning it began to snow up on the mountains. Upon the mountain sides lay vast masses of snow and ice that grew heavier as the snow fell. Sometimes just a loud word spoken would jar the air or the snow and send an avalanche crashing into the valley. In spite of the bad weather, four men and 14-year-old Paolo came trudging up the mountain road. Paolo’s father had advised the men not to attempt to cross the mountain that day, but they insisted on going on. Paolo had slipped unseen out of the house and joined them, for he had lost one of his goats several days before and had hopes of finding it.
Suddenly one of those terrible whirlwinds which often occur in the Alps swept around a corner and moments later Paolo found himself buried beneath an immense heap of snow.
He could breathe but that was all. How many feet of snow was above him he did not know. He found himself sinking deeper and deeper in the soft snow. At last his feet touched the ground. He struggled and kicked and rolled and scrambled his way along for several yards. Suddenly he stumbled out into the open air and went plunging down a precipice only to fall into another bed of snow. He found himself on a ledge some 20 feet below the road, but there he was unable to go further.
Paolo thought about his parents and what a wretch he was for leaving them as he had done. He could not shout for the cold, and he could not see far. He knew if he went to sleep, he would never wake up again. In all the world there was no one who could save him. But Paolo was not counting on Caspar. Then he dozed off.
In the meantime the four men had gone on and reached the inn. They told of how Paolo had disappeared in the avalanche of snow.
At once two men started out with Caspar. Right through the snow storm came the great dog! Running over the frozen crust, plunging through the deep places, bounding, leaping, caring not for drift or storm, like a snow king, as he was, came Caspar.
He made a dash at Paolo and rolled him over in the snow. Then he barked at him in his deep gruff voice as if to say, “Wake up, foolish boy! Don’t you know I’m here? It is all right now.” He pushed Paolo first on one side and then the other until finally the boy opened his eyes.
Again the great Caspar barked. His loud commanding voice seemed to announce: “I’ve found him! Here he is!” The two men arrived, and taking Paolo by the arms, they lifted him Up. They started home with Paolo between them and Caspar leading the way.
Caspar cared not for drift or storm until he found the boy. Conqueror of the snows, triumphant over the storm, he was a true snow king.
And the Lord Jesus has conquered death and the grave to save His lost and perishing sheep, for “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isa. 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6).
The Saviour cared not for death or demon. He loved the ones for whom He died, and nothing could turn Him back. His love carried Him on through all the sorrows, the reproach and “the contradiction of sinners against Himself"; and finally when He entered that deep dark valley of death, where on the cross He suffered the judgment of God against sin, still He would not turn back.
Himself He could not save;
Love’s stream too deeply flowed;
In love Himself He gave,
To pay the debt we owed.
Now He is carrying His lost sheep on His shoulders rejoicing and will not set it down until safe home in the glory. One day He shall reign as King over all the earth, and those who love His name now shall reign with Him in that day.
O! that you might come to know this blessed Saviour, dear reader, and be carried home to heaven on those shoulders of strength.
ML-11/07/1976