A PHILOSOPHER is one who has a wide knowledge of certain things, having read much, and he tries to reason out most everything in life.
A story is told of a philosopher who, while crossing a river on a ferry boat, asked the boatman if he had ever studied astronomy.
“Astronomy?” answered the boatman. “No, sir, I never heard of it before.”
Said the learned man, “I am very sorry, for a quarter of your life has been wasted.”
A few minutes later he asked again, “Do you know anything about mathematics?”
The ferryman smiled, and said “No!”
“Well then another quarter of your life has been wasted,” was the comment.
The philosopher asked yet another question: “Have you ever studied geology?”
“Oh no,” replied the poor ferryman. “I had very little schooling when I was a boy.”
“Well, my friend,” said the intellectual man, “a third part of your life has been wasted.”
A few minutes later the boat, caught by the current, struck a rock and ban to fill with water. The ferryman pulled off his coat to swim ashore. Turning to his learned passenger, he asked, “Sir, can you swim?”
“No, I can’t,” cried the philosopher in despair.
“Well, then,” replied the boatman, “your whole life is wasted; this boat is going to the bottom.”
Men may know much about astronomy, mathematics, geology and other sciences, but if they don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, they will be lost eternally.
Of what use was the philosopher’s learning to him when the boat went down, if he could not swim?
Of what use will this world’s wealth, learning, fame or glory be to one who is about to pass into eternity, if he has not Christ?
To know the Lord Jesus Christ, and what His death has accomplished for you, will give you eternal life.
ML-07/14/1963