Who is Jesus and what is the nature of his authority? What is the larger meaning of the claims he makes about himself, as presented by the Gospel writer?  Beginning this Sunday and stretching over the next two weeks, we are presented with a series of miracle stories intended to provide different insights into this most important question. Today’s Gospel is one that most of us are familiar with: the raging storm, the disciples in the boat, Jesus asleep in the stern. The text is usually interpreted as a miracle story demonstrating the divine power of Jesus, and while it is certainly that, it is also much more. 

The story takes place in Mark’s Gospel directly following the Parable of the Sower which we heard last week.  As evening draws in, Jesus is in need of a break after a long day teaching the crowds and he initiates a boat trip across the sea of Galilee. Although he initiates the trip, he is now in the hands of the disciples, who, as we know, include at least four fishermen. We hear too that other boats accompany them, so it seems that Jesus’ circle of disciples is growing. 

Soon a great windstorm storm arises; so great that the waves crash against the boat and begin to fill it up. Not even the experienced fishermen can do anything about it. They turn to Jesus, presumably because of the power that he has shown in healing sick people and exorcising demons.  However, Jesus is sound asleep, apparently not one bit troubled by the storm all around him and would he be? And so they wake him up and he rebukes the storm and it ceases, and he asks them a very interesting question “why are you afraid?” Notice he doesn’t tell them “do not be afraid”, and he’s not telling them that there’s nothing to be afraid of, but “why are you afraid?” The truth is that there was reason to be afraid, as there are many reasons today in our world. Hard things really do happen: isolation, pain, illness, rejection, failure, and death to name a few of them.  As we grow in faith, we come to understand that even though these things are very real, they don’t have the last word. They don’t have ultimate power over us because reigning over this world of fearsome things is God who is mightier than all of it. There are indeed fearsome storms in our lives but in all of it, we are assured that God is with us and ultimately, we will be safe. 

The events recorded in this section of Mark’s Gospel take place on opposite sides of the sea of Galilee, the most direct way to get from one side to the other. Scripture scholars have noted however that Jesus’ command to the disciples to cross to the other side is more significant than just a change of location. The “other side” represents Gentile territory, the country of the Gerasenes. This is Jesus’s first venture in the Gospel of Mark into what might be considered a dangerous, or even inappropriate destination. So Jesus’ venture into what is regarded as foreign territory is a deliberate demonstration of his claim that his mission and purpose extend beyond the Jews. By taking his ministry into Gentile territory, Jesus reaches out to strangers and even those considered to be enemies of the house of Israel. indeed, he takes his disciples out of their comfort zone, and he takes us out of our comfort zone, too. A reminder here that the Christian life is never meant to be comfortable! 

This has implications for the church in our time, particularly as it is proclaimed today during PRIDE month, and Indigenous History month. The story raises important questions for us: who are the strangers, the others whom we have neglected? Who are the people and where are the places left untouched by Christian hospitality due to colonialism and old taboos?  The Gospel that Jesus proclaims is a message of justice and liberation for ALL; no exceptions. The “crossover” in our hearts requires us to transcend the human characteristics and biases that cause us to separate ourselves from others. 

At this point in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ identity is still unclear and the disciples’ faith  in him is still tenuous, so this event is also a moment of clarity in which they begin to really “see” him. Clarity as to Jesus’ true identity and power, and clarity as to the desperate need for the disciples and for us, to turn to the calming and healing power that Jesus can provide in the midst of our own turbulence. That is not to say that the turbulence that we experience at times in our lives is not real, and like the disciples, we too may cry out at times “Lord, do you not care what is happening to us. It can indeed feel sometimes that God is silent in the midst of terrible atrocities and painful personal circumstances. But only when we have articulated those feelings and the anger that goes along with them can we finally be still and listen for a word from God. Jesus speaks such a word when he rebukes the wind and the waves saying “peace, be still”, after that the text tells us that the wind ceased and everything became calm.  

This is not the first or only example of the power of God’s word, here embodied in Jesus, to do great things. At the beginning of Genesis God spoke and brought into being all of creation. God’s word called a nation into being and inspired prophets who guided that nation. God spoke again and God’s word became flesh in Jesus Christ. It is easy to forget that God’s all powerful word is still spoken amid the noise and chaos of our lives and world.  

The particular word spoken by Jesus in this text is a word of peace and stillness and it is a word we need to hear every day of our lives. Like the disciples, we are challenged in the midst of these storms to rediscover our faith in the promise of God’s powerful word. The question Jesus asks his disciples is the question he asks us in our most challenging situations: “why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”.  The disciples respond with awe and also, I think, a glimmer of understanding of the nature and power of Jesus.   Amen.

 

Ministries
Faith in Formation