June 21

The Other Side

He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. — Mark 4:35

Christ is continually saying the same to us, though with varying meaning in his words. He is ever calling us to pass over some line into new fields, with their new experiences, new privileges, new duties, new conflicts, new joys.

He says it to the impenitent when he graciously invites them to become his disciples. He wants them to cut loose from this world, from sin and all their old dead past, and rise up and go with him to the better life which lies beyond. He invites them to His Father’s country, into His Father’s family. It is a land of blessing and of beauty, of plenty and of great riches. True, there is a sea that must be crossed to reach it. No one can reach the glorious country on “the other side” without passing over this sea, and no one can pass over without encountering tempests. There are fierce temptations, sore self-denials, mighty struggles, and many losses and sorrows, before we can reach heaven; but the reward is so great that we should be ready to endure any hardship or suffering to win it.

Then Christ gives the same call and invitation to His people when they reach the end of earthly life and when He comes to take them home. Before them then rolls the sea of death, dark and full of terrors to the natural sense. They shrink from crossing it. Yet there is no reason why they should. On “the other side” glory waits. There is the Father’s house with the many mansions. And however dark and terrible may seem the narrow sea that has to be crossed, there is no danger; for Jesus himself accompanies His people, and none of them can perish. But if we would have this final invitation to come over to the other side into the heavenly glory, we must accept the final call to come over out of the old life of sin into the new life of holiness.