Be Prepared

The Gospels are full of interesting side-notes concerning the activities of the Lord Jesus. The address of one of those side-notes is Mark 3:9 (“So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.” NKJV)
Jesus has just accomplished the dazzling miracle of restoring an emaciated and shrunken hand. The audience response, however, is mixed. Many are overjoyed to think that a genuine healer has come to town. But some, mostly religious hypocrites, are angry because Jesus has the audacity to perform the miracle in a synagogue on the Sabbath.
Rather than aggravate this dichotomy, Jesus moves on. But the miracle seekers follow Him. Jesus assesses the situation and gives direction to His disciples. Seeing that His back is against the Lake of Galilee, He asks that a boat be provided to guarantee his freedom from the crush of the oncoming crowd.
Jesus is obviously aware of the importance of preparation and provides a clear lesson for his twelve protégés. He knows that His actions will attract a parade of expectations and opportunities. His preparation now will help guarantee His continued effectiveness.
The gospel writer records that Jesus instructs His disciples that the boat should be “kept ready”. We must diligently maintain what we carefully prepare. It is a fact that most of our world is in a continuous state of decline. If not maintained, most things, including our preparations, will eventually become defective and ineffective.
Preparation demands that we anticipate what can be as well as what will be. Because our minds respond best to the things they can see we must raise our line of sight above the immediate and evident. See beyond the present moment and activity. Like Jesus, we must visualize the details of the variety of pictures that are yet to develop. So, look ahead and keep a boat ready!