Proper 7
Mark
4:35-41
21 June
2015
Almighty God,
in Your mercy guide the course of this world so that Your Church may joyfully
serve You in godly peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our
Lord...
Jesus is Lord. This is what faith communicates. It speaks. It confesses reality. And your
reality, is this, Jesus is Lord! It is true. And it is certain.
In rapid
succession, with one story, stacked, one after another, Mark will tell us
clearly, “Jesus is Lord!” Jesus is
Lord over nature. Over demons. Over death.
Jesus is Lord. He stills the wind
and calms the stormy sea. Jesus is Lord. The
demon-possessed man, the one who had had legion, is sitting there, clothed and
in his right mind. (Mark 5:15) Jesus is Lord. Jairus’ daughter is raised to
life.
The
disciples feared a great fear. “Who is
this? That even the wind and the sea obey him?”
It has
been quite a week, hasn’t it! With all this rain. And thunder! Make it stop!
This is too much! Still, it comes! It’s easy to say, “Jesus is Lord!” when all
is bright and sunny. But when storms come, as they do, it’s difficult and hard
to prove. We falter when we lose focus and doubt.
Our flesh
is always warring against our spirit. That’s where fighting and fears come
from. And this lordship of Jesus is
often veiled. Does the Father still love me in the midst of these storms and
problems? Can Jesus help me when I’m up against so many great odds? Why is God
silent? Why won’t He listen? This veil
is uncovered in today’s Gospel. With the
world of nature howling against the disciples, Jesus discloses His lordship.
“When evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go
across to the other side’. And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in
the boat, just as He was.” (Vv.35-36)
They took Jesus along with them just as
He was. This is a clear reference to Jesus’ human nature. Jesus had told
the disciples to have a boat ready for Him because of the crowd, which was
about to crush Him.[1] He
had been so busy teaching and preaching. The crowd was so huge that He didn’t
even have time to eat.[2]
He was exhausted and spent. No wonder He slept in the back of the boat!
These
disciples. They were experienced fishermen. They knew these waters. There were
times to fish. There were times to travel. And you did not go across to the other side when evening had come. That’s when the
storms come. At night! Nevertheless,
they went. At Jesus’ command.
A furious
squall...a bad storm...happened. The boat suffers simply because it's there.
They suffer because they were there. Sometimes bad things happen because they
happen.
We cannot
escape hard times. We are living outside of Eden. This is a fallen world. We
are not perfect.
And hard
times happen. Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan…until you get punched
in the face!” Sometimes we get punched! It is not pleasant. It is not joyful.
It is not easy. It’s hard. And difficult!
And these
disciples. They understood their culture of their time. The waves implied
turmoil. And the Sea indicated death. How’s that for trusting Jesus! And His
word. Had He sent them off to die? Was this a test? Or a punishment?
We are being destroyed…NOW! They cry! And Jesus? Where is He? He’s on a cushion.
Literally, He's asleep at the wheel.
Notice,
the language. We're perishing! They
cry out. And Jesus is included with them.
But as they cry out to Him, they say, “it matters to you doesn’t it?”
They ask, expecting a positive answer. They know they are in trouble.
They seek Jesus, expecting His help.
Though
seemingly asleep, Jesus can be wakened.
This has always been the expectation of faith. We expect Jesus to
intervene. We expect Jesus to act. We expect Jesus to hear us. David cried out
in Psalm 89:8-9 “O Lord God of hosts, who
is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule
the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.”
And in Psalm 107, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them
from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were
hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet. And be brought them to
their desired haven.” (Vv. 28-30)
Jesus
intervenes. He rescues by rebuking faithlessness
and revealing Himself as the Master of the elements, to stifle storms and still
the seas. Jesus literally says, “Shut up!
Be muzzled!” Of course! This is rude
language. But it's the enemy! Even the grave and the jaws of death are shut up
for you. He speaks with authority. He doesn't grab a bucket. He goes to the source of the problem. And He
delivers them.
Jesus
unveils His power daily. Especially, in
the midst of peril. When everything seems lost. He is always in control. The early Christians remembered this account
in their persecutions. When you encounter peril or danger may we simply pray, Jesus, Savior, pilot me! Jesus does not
explain each wave. Yet He weeps with those who weep. He mourns with those who
mourn. He comforts, strengthens and He heals.
Faith
prays. Because it knows nothing else. Like the infant. To her mother. She knows
nothing other than to trust. Jesus
always responds with His word of peace. He releases His grace in daily
forgiveness. “But if we walk in the
light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
Jesus
concludes with a question. Why are you
cowards? And there is no answer, other than to respond, “Lord I believe…help me in my unbelief.”(Mark
9:24) Lord I trust…help me when it is shaken. Lord I cling to You…never let go!
Mark
reminds us, “They feared a great
fear...who is this?” Fear? Yes,
fear. As in the First Commandment, “we should fear, love and trust in God above
all things.”
In this
life, we will encounter storms. They cannot be avoided. They are part and
parcel of our life. And yet, there is no better place to be,-then next to Jesus,
asleep in His sleep over sin, over death, over the Devil.
Jesus, who
didst ever guide me
Jesus, my
strong helper be.
Jesus,
save, whate’er betide me,
Jesus,
make me trust in Thee.
Jesus let
Thy grace attend me,
Jesus,
still from sin defend me.[3]
_____________
Words –1,150
Passive
Sentences –5%
Readability
–86.9
Reading
Level -2.8
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