Many years ago, in one of the harbors of England, a ship was being loaded for a long trip. A young boy had been watching the loading of the big ship. As the crew boarded, he quickly decided that he was going to go, too. He was tired of school and tired of his foster home, and had always wanted to go on an adventure. So when nobody was looking, he slipped on board the ship and hid. Soon the whistle blew, and the large cargo ship moved slowly out of the harbor.
The ship had been out to sea for less than a day when the captain and all his crew wished they had never started the trip. They knew before they left port that a tropical storm was approaching. But now the storm had increased in strength and had become a hurricane. The young stowaway boy came out of hiding. He was very sick and very scared. He also wished that he were back home, even back in school.
For hours the ship struggled against the huge waves. Then real problems developed! A leak allowed water to get into one of the ship’s engine rooms, which caused the ship to lose power. Then the steering gear broke, and the ship turned broadside to the waves. Wave after wave broke over the deck and leaked into the other engine rooms, flooding all of them. Everyone knew the ship was in real trouble! To make matters worse, it was being blown toward the rocks along the coast of Wales. They radioed an SOS and their position before the ship struck the rocks. “Abandon ship! Abandon ship!” came the call from the captain.
Quickly, the lifebelts were hand out to each of the crew, and the lifeboats were lowered. One by one the crew jumped into the churning waters and were pulled into one of the lifeboats. Everyone had forgotten about the stowaway on board—everyone, that is, except the captain. When the crew was all safe in the lifeboats, he found the boy crying in one of the ship’s cabins.
The captain put his own lifebelt on the boy, and then lifting him up carried him to the railing of the ship. Still holding the boy, the captain jumped into the raging seas just as a huge wave broke over the ship. The force of the wave tore the boy from the captain’s arms and swept them both away from the waiting lifeboats. The crew, rowing as hard as they could, was able to rescue the boy. But the captain, without a lifebelt, drowned. The kind, brave captain gave up his life to save the stowaway boy.
What was it about the stowaway that brought out the kindness of the captain? The boy shouldn’t have been on the ship at all, and he really deserved to be punished. It was the kindness of the captain’s heart that saved the boy’s life.
Let’s stop a minute and look at the cross of Calvary. There the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself to die for sinners. By suffering on the cross for our sins He has opened up the gates of heaven. Now we, poor guilty sinners washed clean of our sins, can enter the Father’s home forever.
If the boy had refused the captain’s lifebelt, he would have drowned. If you refuse God’s offer of mercy, you will perish also. Accept His offer of mercy now, and you will be in heaven with the Lord forever.
ML-10/04/1981