In 1982 the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released. As the movie opened, we see a Vulcan female commanding the Enterprise. Before long, everything is chaos and the destruction is within moments. At that moment we find out that it was a simulation. The simulation was designed so that it was not possible to win. It was called the "Kobiyashi Maru scenario". This letter deals with this very real event, the no-win scenario. Many times in our lives we will face circumstances where we cannot win. As it has been said, nobody gets out alive.

Matthew 26:36-46 contains an account of Jesus at the garden of Gethsemane. To study and comprehend this event, you must feel the pain, the anguish, the dread, the burden, and the loneliness Jesus felt that night. The end was near and the price for sin must be paid. For Jesus this was the no-win scenario. He did nothing to deserve this coming punishment and there was no other way for the debt to be paid. This punishment including beatings, physical humiliation, the betrayal from his people and even his closest companions, the grueling physical pain of crucifixion, the humiliation of being hung between earth and heaven, then worst of all the spiritual punishment associated with sin – the separation from the Father. Does God understand the no-win scenario? Absolutely. We placed Him in that position.

In Psalm 22:1 David echoes Jesus cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" even before it occurs. David felt God's pain and was inspired to write about it. In David's life, he was faced with something he could not win when he wanted to build the temple. God would not allow him because of his past sins. What did David do? Did he quit? No, he helped prepare the materials.

In the book of Jonah, he was definitely presented with this problem, at least from his perspective. In verse 1:2 God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah hates these people, the Assyrians. The Assyrians were a conquering nation whose sights were set on the Northern Kingdom, Israel, which is Jonah's home. With time Jonah's fear becomes reality. Of course Jonah refuses to go but God has other plans. After the fish episode, God instructs Jonah once again to go Nineveh and preach. Reluctantly Jonah does as he has been told. What choice did he have? None! In verses 4:1 to 4:4 it is quite obvious how angry Jonah is with God. He was angry at God for being nice and angry because he was forced to have a hand in it. Jonah was in a no-win scenario.

In the last part of Genesis we read many events in the life of Joseph. His brothers sold Joseph into slavery. He eventually finds favor with his owner and becomes the overseer of his master's house. In Genesis 39, his master's wife tries to seduce him but Joseph refuses. She keeps pressuring him but he stands fast. Eventually she sets him up so that he appears to have acted inappropriately. Joseph is then placed in jail. He did the right thing but he ended up in jail. Did Joseph know about a no-win scenario? There is no doubt.

Why is this important? We all are faced with situations where, no matter what, we come out bad. That is the way life is. The great people in the Bible had the same problem. Even Jesus had this problem. The important point is, we may lose the battle but we must win the war. When Jesus suffered he lost the battle but won the war. That war allowed our ability to seek after salvation. How we react in these situations shows our true character. It shows who we really are once we cut past all the fluff, cockiness, bravado, and talk. Peter could talk all he wanted but he still denied Christ three times. Jonah was not a good role model. Many lives of Nineveh will be eternally spared but Jonah cared more for the gourd that gave him shade. There will be times when we will lose. The question becomes, what choice do you make and how do you handle the situation. We will lose friends and family in death. We will even lose our own lives at some point. Eternal life is the victory over this death. While we live, faith is the victory. Faith is the belief that God is true to His word and the victory is already ours.

- 1997