| Jesus, Who Was He? Lord of Creation |
|
|
Journeys – you took one today. I'm not talking about the cost of journeys with all the news this week about road pricing!
Life as a journey just like the journey the disciples took across the lake.
vv. 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."
Following a busy day teaching the crowds on the seashore from a boat, Jesus suggests going to go to the other side. Only 8 miles, it all started rather well. Taking a journey – last weekend we went to Edinburgh with Rebekah – her first mode of public transport a plane!!
vv. 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
They leave the crowds behind, Jesus goes just as he was?!?!?!? Not like David Copperfield the American illusionist who has props etc. Jesus had nothing. A convoy of boats sets out, rather like the camper van or caravans travelling to Devon in the summer. Disciples – ordinary, imperfect people like you and I, how many? – we are not told – may be the 12 may be more – at least some of them (Peter, Andrew, James and John), would have been experienced fishermen. They would have known the way, would have known the problem areas, would have known the difficulties that could come.
vv. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Apart from fishermen, the Jews were not seafaring people, they left that to their Phoenician neighbours to the north and with good reason. For the Jews the Sea = dark power of evil, threatening to destroy God’s good creation, people and purposes. Sea of Galilee - only 8 miles wide, would not seem difficult at first glance. Yet its unique geography produces a greatly varying climate. The lake is situated 700 feet below sea level and is surrounded by mountains that rise 3 to 4,000 feet above sea level on the west, north, and east. Tropical conditions prevail around the lake’s surface, where even bananas are grown today. Yet the higher elevations can produce chilling night air. It is not unusual even today for a sudden great windstorm to appear on the Sea of Galilee during the evening hours. The warm tropical air from the lake’s surface rises and meets the colder air from the nearby hills. The resulting turbulence stirs up great waves which make boating extremely treacherous. even cars parked in the car parks around the shore are in danger. A boat on the sea at such times is tossed around like a child’s toy.
Such a storm caused problems part way into Jesus and the disciple’s journey.
vv. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
JESUS - FULLY HUMAN
The mention of Jesus being asleep on a pillow tired after his busy day shows His true humanity. He was fully human and needed food and rest just as all people do. It also shows us that what concerns us, does not necessarily concern God. Disciples rebuking Jesus for being asleep. Were they expecting him to assist to bail out the water, or were they expecting more? I suspect they were expecting the former.
Does Jesus care for his disciples? Yes he does – just watch his response. Does God care for us today? Jesus may not always calm the external storms of our lives. Are we going to wake Jesus up in the middle of the storms of our lives?
vv. 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
JESUS – FULLY GOD
Jesus’ command over the wind and the sea demonstrates that he is fully and completely God – only God who created the world in the beginning can control nature like this? Immediately calm – this is no trick by Jesus as he lies in the boat watching to see when the storm is almost about to die out and then up he gets to play a trick on the disciples. It immediately stops – can you do that? Rico on the DVD says he has tried it in the bath with his bath water - with little success!! Here we see God’s sovereign power, the same that created the universe, being unleashed, God’s kingdom is at hand. We see at work God’s power over the sea.
Are we able to perform such miracles? NO
The gospels tell us that only Jesus did ‘nature’ miracles as only Jesus is God, there is no hint this power is given to the disciples or indeed to us today. Jesus fully human and fully God, not 50/50 or some times one or the other
vv. 40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?
Jesus had already healed people which the disciples would have seen. He expected them to have greater faith. A gentle rebuke to the disciples, do we trust Jesus?
Are we going to wake Jesus up? He is no genie in a lamp that we can request when we like and then place back into the lamp. When we call upon him, he in turn asks us a question – do we trust him?
vv. 41 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
The disciples fear of an external storm has been replaced with the fear of an internal storm, as Mark tells us they question “Who can this be?”
This should evoke a similar response in us today.
Jesus both fully human and fully God is right there with us to share with us on that journey, will we wake him up?
Where is Jesus in the boat of your life? Below the deck, at the back as a backseat driver, standing next to you as you steer the boat, driving / steering the boat? |
Amen |
|
|
|
