Wednesday Bible Blurb Titanic Faith 8 14 2024
Montana Mike Wallace
April 14, 1912 was a cold and calm moonless night as the great ship Titanic sailed across the North Atlantic through iceberg alley. The ocean was calm and looked like a clear crystal lake of glass without waves or noise. Just the sound of the engine, propeller and the music and laughter of the passengers to break the silence of the night. The captain dined with his passengers. Edward Rogers, shop keeper wiled his night away. John Jacob Astor and his lovely wife, one of the richest men on earth, enjoyed an evening of fresh air and music. All was right with the world on board the giant ship of which it had been said, not even “God could sink it.” It would not be long before the passengers and crew learned they could not walk on water.
How BIG is our faith in God? It was a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee as the wind and the waves rocked the boat carrying the 12 disciples of Jesus. They were afraid of the storm and then they saw Jesus, walking across the sea directly towards them. Jesus had the faith to walk on water. Peter, always the first to jump at a situation asked if he too could “walk on water”? Jesus bid him “come” and for a little while Peter did the impossible, he walked on the water. Then, Peter looked around, saw the reality of the situation and his faith fled him and Jesus had to recue him. (Matt. 14:22-33). Befuddled, Jesus said to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31 b [NKJV]). When we see the reality of life’s situations do we walk on the water of faith or do we doubt? The waters on the Sea of Galilee became calm like a sea of glass.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” (Heb. 11:1-2). Edward Smith, Captain of the Titanic ignored the warnings of icebergs in the area as he could not see them. It was evidence not seen so he hoped for the best. He was an experienced captain of many years’ services to both the Royal Navy and to the cruise line. He was soon to learn he could not walk on water. The opposite of faith is vanity. Captain Smith wanted to make it from South Hampton, England to New York in record time so he ignored the iceberg warnings and plowed on at 22 knots across the cold, glassy seas of the North Atlantic. He had vanity and pride in his captaincy rather than faith and love.
It was said of Abraham, the father of the faithful, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Heb. 11:8). Abraham did not have evidence of what lie ahead or of even where to go. He just went forward as God had instructed him to do, his faith carried him forward. Paul tells us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (II Cor. 5:7). Abraham walked by faith and found the promised land and is the father of the faithful.
How big is our faith? Do we have titanic faith in God? Faith is nothing unless we are doing something. James tells us, “For the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26). Peter walked on water by faith. Is our faith so titanic that we can walk on water too or do the daily stresses and reality of life block our courage in God?
Jesus traveled to Bethany near Jerusalem because his friend Lazarus had died. Upon encountering Martha, sister of Lazarus a conversation of heartfelt sincerity was struck up. She said to Jesus, if you had been here my brother would not have died. She knew of the resurrection to come and then “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’” She had titanic faith in a moment of great stress and her brother Lazarus was called out of the tomb back to life. Faith with works is alive.
Late in the evening of April 14, 1912 the unsinkable Titanic hit an iceberg and began to founder and eventually sink killing over 1,500 people as it wafted down to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912. Captain Smith went down with his ship. John Jacob Astor and his wife, two of the richest people on earth died after giving away their lifeboat seats to two children so that they might live. Edward Rogers, my wife’s great grandfathers first cousin drowned in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. If they could only have walked on water. How titanic is our faith in God? Can we walk on water or do we have work to do? Do we have the faith of Abraham or of Martha?
How titanic is our faith in God?
Note: Of the over 1,500 deaths, only 337 bodies were pulled out of the ocean waters. 150 of the deceased including Edward Rogers are buried in a cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I have visited this cemetery and thus felt the pain of death for these many families.
