Originally Posted by Mike Young May 2006
My sons are big fans of the Davy Crockett movies from Walt Disney. Perhaps you remember them. Early in Davy Crockett; King of the Wild Frontier, there is a scene in which Davy and his men, a group of volunteers from Tennessee, have met their obligation and decided they need to go back home to check on their wives, children and farms. He informs a Lieutenant in the regular army of his plans. The officer wasn’t ready for these valuable men to leave the encampment so he set up a blockade.
The Lieutenant and a number of soldiers were in position at the end of a bridge with a cannon ready to fire. Davy Crockett and his small group of volunteers approached the show of force. The Lieutenant demanded that they not leave. Davy again stated his position and told the Lieutenant that he would have to shoot them if he wanted them to stay. He then proceeded to lead his men across the bridge. They went on their way. My boys and I love that scene.
We all celebrate that type of boldness that moves forward through difficulties courageously, without flinching. Boys and men are drawn to that type of courage and leadership. It excites and inspires us.
Recently, I have been challenged to read through the gospels to evaluate the life and leadership of Christ. I am discovering qualities of Christ that I had read over before, but never paid attention to. Last week I read Luke 4 and made a discovery I would like to share with you… Jesus was in his hometown of Nazareth. He was in the synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah a passage with prophecy concerning the Christ. With all eyes on him, he sat down then proclaimed, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
I think it’s pretty significant that although Jesus cautioned some about telling about his miracles because of their timing…. He never hid. He was visible to those who were hostile to him. After he proclaimed himself as the fulfillment of prophecy, everyone spoke positively of him. Shortly, he made the statement, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Then he cited Elijah and Elisha as examples of prophets whose messages were rejected in their hometowns. They were angered by what he had pointed out… Now read verses 28-29.
“All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.”
When I read that last week, I was surprised. I didn’t remember that happening to Christ. Wow! He really made them mad. He had a way of revealing to people their own motives and personalities in a way that made them uncomfortable. So uncomfortable in this case that the people wanted to kill him. But, the story gets even better. In the final verse of the chapter we read… But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. That’s boldness!
Sometimes I feel like the image of Christ most often presented to us is of a weakling or wimp. I know that’s not the real Christ, but that’s the view that many men have of him. I want men and young boys to understand that we serve a bold, assertive Christ who never hid and never backed down. He knew who he was and what he was called to do.
Although he prayed to have the burden lifted, he moved forward through difficulties to complete the task that he had been assigned. He wasn’t forced to the cross, he chose it!
Please don’t make too much of my comparison of Davy Crockett and Jesus. I just want to point out that Jesus was bold, determined, focused, and courageous. He was not rattled by the toughest of critics or opponents. He was a man worthy of the devotion of other men. That’s why I follow him and want to lead like him.