Committed and Compelled

Into the valley of death

Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to the right of them,

Cannon to the left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred.

From “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

 

Lord Tennyson penned these lines to describe the now-famous Charge of the Light Brigade. The incident took place during a battle of the Crimean War in 1854. An officer gave a verbal order that the Russians be stopped from taking Turkish guns on the opposing hillside. The resulting written command was unclear, and mistakenly sent 600+ cavalry troops to the wrong place; their march took them through a mile-long valley, its surrounding hills lined with enemy cannon and guns on three sides.

When the blasting began, the troops continued forward. That tenacity, exhibited in the face of almost certain slaughter, stands even today as a tribute to the fortitude of every British soldier.  It was a suicidal effort. Only 195 men of the original 600 rallied at the end of the charge.

They were men simply following orders. Loyalty to their commanding officers and country took precedence over personal comfort and safety.

After three years of teaching and proving his authority with miracles, the time had come for Jesus to go up to Jerusalem to complete the purpose for which he came. Mark begins the account of the journey like this: “They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful.”

Why were the disciples afraid? Jesus had just, for the third time, told them of his imminently approaching death. He would be betrayed and handed over to the chief priests and scribes, who would condemn him. They would give him to the Gentiles, who, after mocking, spitting on Him, and beating Him, would kill him. Not exactly the triumphant messiahship the disciples had in mind. The mood of the group had turned grim.

Things just weren’t fitting together. They knew Jesus was the Messiah. He had proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. They had seen him heal the sick, oust demons, and control the fury of nature with a word. His teachings were profound, went straight to the heart, and demonstrated the holy standards of God. He was Messiah, alright. Yet at the same time, there was no question he meant to die in Jerusalem. These two facts just did not compute. They didn’t understand. So they were afraid.

What kept their feet following his footsteps, drawing them ever-closer to the horror that awaited? They loved Jesus. Whatever doubts that plagued them were inconsequential. Being by his side, no matter what lay ahead, was more important than understanding. They knew they loved Him, and He was worth it all. So even in their fear, they continued to follow.

They were committed, and that commitment compelled them to accept what they could not understand.

Sometimes our circumstances make no sense. Maybe we sought justice and were disappointed. Or we are grieving, and the pain we bear overwhelms us. We cannot imagine how a loving God could allow such terrible things to happen. Like the cavalrymen of the Light Brigade, we see nothing but doom ahead. Like the disciples, we don’t understand. Yet we continue onward, trusting in the goodness and wisdom of the One we follow.

Why? Because we love Him. He has proved His faithfulness and goodness to us over and over. He gave everything for us. His amazing grace and indescribable mercy provided our salvation and made us adopted sons and daughters of God. So in gratitude and its resulting loyalty, we march forward, eyes trained on Him, who leads the way.

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”         Hebrews 6:19-20, NASB