Marksman
- Gary Fritsch
- Aug 19, 2025
- 2 min read
In the Marine Corps, I was introduced to marksmanship, and having never fired a gun other than a pellet gun, my eyes were wide open to learn. When they told us that we would be hitting targets rapid-fire at 200 yards and single shots at 500 yards, that seemed pretty far away. I wasn't aware that the real sharp shooters can hit a man-sized target from over a mile away. How does that even happen?
Over the course of two weeks, I went from not being able to hit the broad side of a barn to being a respectable Sharpshooter (the middle range of qualification rankings). As I reflect on this experience, I can remember being amazed at my accuracy from 500 yards (you can barely see the target and there are no scopes). Such things had seemed impossible just a week earlier. But I had worked earnestly with the range instructors (some of the coolest Marines we encountered in boot camp) and trusted their instruction. After all, I knew nothing, and they were absolute masters at their craft.
Jesus proposes, throughout the Gospels, tasks or even ways of being that seem impossible to us. How can a camel pass through the eye of a needle? Well as Jesus points out - he can't do it on his own. We have to have a great trust in the Lord and begin to work on what He teaches. He is indeed the Master (and the coolest human we will encounter). I remember trying to mimic every movement of the instructor, I even thought of HOW they said things, and this would play through my mind as I worked through my practice rounds.
Jesus raises the standard. He rachets up every commandment "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill...But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment" He proposes the impossible and then offers to help us get there. He knows that we will never get close unless we pursue, with vigor, the most difficult. In every area of human endeavor, the greatest achievements are made when we envision doing more than we are capable of today.
If this is true in the human endeavors, imagine what will be true in the endeavors of the divine!! This is what Jesus has in mind for us. He became human so that we might become divine and do what only God can do - love perfectly. We will only reach this perfection in heaven, but now is our time to begin the pursuit. So don't worry if the goal seems impossible. Follow the Master, allow His voice to echo in your ears as you work through each day, and when you stumble, and fumble and fail - as we all do - look to Him then. He will be ready to forgive and encourage you on your path. Always keep the perfection of heaven in your sights.
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