They didn’t know what they’d find when the ships landed. That was the whole point, they were explorers; they were used to forging into the unknown. Since they’d left Spain 14 years ago, success had met them every step of the way. Cuba was now part of the vast Spanish Empire, but that wasn’t enough. Their leader wanted more. He wanted Mexico and all of the Aztec Empire.
Hernando Cortez knew that Montezuma and the Aztecs, having conquered all of the surrounding tribes, would stand their ground. He also knew that, having only 700 men, the Aztecs outnumbered the Spaniards by 300-1. His men were nervous and, more than likely, questioning their leader. It seemed as though he was leading them into certain death. What Cortez did next must have furthered their doubts. To prove his commitment to the expedition and eradicate any thoughts of failure or a backup plan, Cortez burned his own ships. All of them. He was fully committed.
A sane person has a backup plan. Maybe even a backup plan for the backup plan. Plus we have an IRA, a 401k, health insurance, life insurance, fire insurance, car insurance, etc etc etc etc. The future is unpredictable, so we manage risk.
And I treat God the same way, as a risk. I’m not sure what He’s going to say or do next, so I make backup plans just in case. I’m willing to listen to Him, but I feel better knowing that I have a Plan B. I want to make sure I don’t get caught in a 300-1 man battle.
Cortez didn’t formulate an escape plan before waging war, and he certainly didn’t buy more life insurance. Nope, he did the opposite; he burned his only escape option. It was succeed or die. This was a battle that he was willing to stake his life on. Same thing with Christ. There was no backup plan; He committed his life to one sole purpose, and in doing so paid the ultimate price.
Cortez was restless in Spain. You can argue over some of his foolish decisions, but one thing is for sure; he was made to explore. It was wired into his DNA. He felt fully alive when he was conquering a new land. Besides, the ships were just going to take him back to the mundane, the ordinary. He didn’t need that. He didn’t want that. He was willing to stake his life on living out what he was created to do.
I’ve got a bigger fleet of ships than Cortez could have dreamed of. After all, life is unpredictable and I may have to settle when choosing a career, a wife, a church community. Better make sure I have some backup plans.
Or I could burn the ships and commit myself to the life I want. With so many unfulfilled sane people in the world, maybe a little insanity is a good thing.
Yep, I’m going to burn my ships now.
