Who Then is This??

This is the reflection on this Sunday's gospel reading that was sent out to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.  
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

35When evening had come, [Jesus said to the disciples,]Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40He said to them, Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Every time I read a passage of scripture, something different stands out. I looked back at the sermon I preached three years ago, when this was the gospel reading. It was a completely different take on the passage than what I see today. 

It was a scary time for Jesus’ disciples. Although a small lake, the Sea of Galilee can get stirred up with great waves as the western winds blow across it. When I lived in Bethlehem, we would go north to the Galilee for vacation. I will never forget the signs on the shore, in broken English, that declared, “Beware of western whips!” 

So in all of this scariness and in the evening where it gets dark much earlier than here, Jesus shows his disciples one of the aspects of his nature. Jesus demonstrated that he was the Lord who controlled nature. 

I can’t help but hear in my head a song from a previous lifetime that expresses, albeit in older language, the gist of this passage, because Jesus continues to reveal himself to his followers.:

Behold what manner of man is this 
Who stills the raging sea 
He heals the sick, the lame, the halt 
And makes the blind to see 
He opens all the prison doors 
And sets the captives free 
Behold what manner of man is this 
What manner of man is He? 

CHORUS 
He's the Lord of Glory 
He is the great I Am 
The Alpha and Omega 
The beginning and the end 
His name is Wonderful 
The Prince of Peace is He 
He's the everlasting Father 
Throughout eternity. 

Behold what manner of man is this (Eb) 
Gospel Way Song Book #304 
Phyllis C Spiers © 1950, 1962 Gospel Publishing House 

Comic strip

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bidden or Not Bidden...

Dancing with the Trinity

Vulnerability Friday Five