Mark 1:18

Straightway

Straightway. Mark 1:18.

I wonder if you have a pet word a word you use very often. Many people have a pet word that they like to produce on every possible occasion. This word " straightway” is St. Mark's pet word. He uses it forty-one times, nearly twice as many times as St. Matthew and St. Luke together.

What does St. Mark mean by “straightway”? He just means “immediately,” “at once,” “straight away.” Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and He saw two men casting a net into the sea. He called them to come with Him, and straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him. They didn't say, “Oh yes, well come, but just wait a minute till we haul up our nets again or find somebody to look after the boat.” They came at once, without any doubt or hesitation, and if they hadn't done so the likelihood is that they would never have come at all, and Jesus would have had to choose two other disciples in their place.

Now I think that word “straightway” is a very good word. There are so many things that it is best to do straightway. Under the clock of a certain factory there is a sign with the words, “Do it now.” It is the motto of the factory, and it means that the best time is the present. It is just another way of saying, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” Well, straightway just means “Do it now.” I think it would be not at all a bad idea if we took that word as our motto; so I want to speak to you about a few of the things that it is best to do straightway.

1. Be diligent straightway. Every day brings its own work, and if you don't do today's work today, then tomorrow will have more to bear than it ought, and neither tomorrow's work nor today's will be properly done, because they will both have been hurried.

And there is another reason why we should be diligent straightway. When time goes past we can never get it back again, and wasted time very often means wasted opportunity.

Do you know the story of how the klipdas came to be without a tail? The klipdas is the rock badger, a little animal something like a rabbit. It lives in South Africa, and the Zulus have a sort of fable about it, which Rudyard Kipling tells.

At the beginning of the world, say the Zulus, none of the animals had tails. But after some time they were told that if they would meet at a certain place on a certain day they would all get their tails. Now the klipdas was a lazy fellow, and when the day arrived he was lying in the grass having a good snooze. Later he was wakened by a noise. It was Mr. Monkey passing along, and he seemed to be in a great hurry. “Where are you going?” asked the klipdas. “Why, to get my tail, of course,” replied the monkey; “aren't you coming too?” But the klipdas was very comfortable in the grass, so he asked the monkey to be good enough to get both their tails. Well, what do you think Mr. Monkey did? He asked for the klipdas's tail right enough, but instead of handing it on, he joined it to his own tail. And to this day the monkey has an extra long tail and the klipdas has none at all!

So don't let other people excel you because you are too lazy to work. Be diligent straightway. Stick in to your lessons, however dull they may seem. Learn while you learn, and play while you play, and then you will be ready for your opportunity when it comes.

2. Be obedient straightway. I wonder how many of you are that? If I asked those people to hold up their hands who had never said “Wait a minute” when they received an order, I wonder how many hands there would be. Well, I can't tell you for certain, but there is one thing I do know you wouldn't see my hand held up.

What makes us say things like “ Wait a minute,” or “Why must I?” It is chiefly pride. We know we have to do the thing in the end of the day, but we want to show that we have a will too, and so we give a wriggle first.

Now I am going to tell you something. You will never grow up unless you learn to obey. You may grow into big men and women, but your minds and wills will never grow up. For one of the first lessons you will learn when you go out into the world is that everybody has to obey somebody else. Employees have to obey their masters, masters have to obey the wishes of the public or their business will fail. Soldiers and sailors have to obey their superior officers. Even the king cannot do as he likes.

Now if you have to obey, don't you think it is a great deal better to do it pleasantly and at once than unwillingly and with a grumble? And if you can't make yourself do it any other way, try to imagine that you are a soldier and your father or mother your superior officer. Of course no soldier dare say, “Wait a minute,” or “Why must I?”

3. Be hind straightway. Somebody was once trying to persuade the Duke of Wellington to do something that was not quite right, and he pointed out that the right thing would cost him a great deal of trouble. “I don't care a rap,” said the Duke, “I haven't time not to do right.” Well, I think we might say that we haven't time not to be kind.

There is such a thing as being kind too late. I read a story the other day about a man who spent his days vainly trying to smooth out the wrinkles that his wild boyhood had made on his mother's brow.

When he was a boy he gave his mother a great deal of trouble and worry by his bad ways. Nothing she could say or do made him the least bit better and he did not seem to mind though day by day her face grew more careworn. Finally, he ran away to sea. At first he had a very hard time, but later he began to get on and he rose to be a captain. All these years his mother never ceased to think of him and write to him, and at last he resolved to go home and try to make up to her for all the unkindness of his earlier years.

So he came home, rented a small farm, and took his mother to live with him. But though he loaded her with kindness and love, nothing could undo the harm he had done. No amount of love and care could smooth out the wrinkles on her brow, or turn her snow- white hair black again. He had begun to be kind too late.

Boys and girls, be wiser than that boy. I am glad he tried to smooth away the wrinkles, but it would have been infinitely better if he had never let them come. You have still your chance. You have not begun to put the wrinkles on mother's brow, or perhaps you have put only one or two tiny creases. Don't put any more there. Be kind to her now and you will have no bitter regrets. And not only to your mother, but to everyone around you, be kind. If you get the chance of being kind take it “straightway.” It may never come back again. And remember that every opportunity of being kind is a gift sent from God. It is something He gives us to do for Him in the world.

4. Follow Christ straightway. It is never too soon to begin to do that. He called a little child to Him once on earth and He is still calling little children. He wants you for His very own: He needs you. Many people have put off following Him till later and it is their most lasting regret. Imitate Simon and Andrew, who came straightway when they were called. He is calling you now. Will you go to Him straightway, or will you keep Him waiting through the weary years till the best of your life is past and you can offer Him only the dregs?