Much of the Northeastern part of America the Beautiful has been devastated by the recent storms. There is massive loss and destructions accompanied by massive grief. Churches of all denomination including our United Methodist Church are involved in the ministry of caring and restoration. We all can give monetary gifts through various Church relief agencies that are engaged in the ministry of rescue and restoration.
Jesus is the Captain of the sea. He is the Christ in every crisis. The culture that ridicules Christ and disobeys Him finds itself utterly paralyzed in the face of the Massive Storm. Any Christ-less culture becomes devastated because of spiritual and moral bankruptcy. The Word comes to us "Be Still and know that He is God". In Mark 4 we read about a storm that the disciples experienced. Jesus invited His disciples saying, "Let us go across to the other side". (verse 35) What did Jesus mean when he indicated the other side? At this point, Jesus and his followers were on the western side of Lake Galilee, among villages where the people are good faithful Jews. ‘The other side’ is very different. You can get an idea if you know the story that immediately follows this one. They encountered the Gerasene demoniac, who lived among people who were pig farmers. It was not exactly an area with kosher Jews! Not only was the demoniac unclean,but so also was the general population. This whole area to the east of Galilee was one where Jewish people generally mixed and compromised their faith with alien influences from Greek culture. Jesus was saying to his friends, “We can’t just stay among the people like us, those with whom we feel comfortable. We must move into other territory to advance the kingdom of God.”
Jesus says the same to His church today. We, too, cannot stay only among the people we are comfortable with, people just like ourselves. If we are the community formed by God’s kingdom, then we have to leave our familiar places and go to our ‘other side’, wherever that may be. Insulation is not guaranteed in the life of faith. He calls us to mix with people who are not like us, with the intention of sharing God’s love in word and deed. Jesus died for each and every one of these people. The storm was a natural, unsurprising event, yet a terrifying and life-threatening one. So it is that when we head for our ‘other side’ storms will blow up against us.
It is interesting to see how Jesus responded to the storm when he is awakened from his peaceful slumber. ‘He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.’ Jesus addressed the storm, this natural event, as if it were demonic. Rebukes and commands to be quiet were the language he used when expelling demons.
We should not be surprised if storms whip up in our lives, often consisting of natural but frightening events, when we decide to cross with Jesus to our ‘other side’ and engage in mission. We are joining battle against an enemy when we do so. To paraphrase the late John Wimber, our boat is not a cruise liner; it is a battleship. We can expect storms of opposition, but we must not cower in their face.
Jesus stilled such a storm. He commanded it to be calm. Jesus acted with the cosmic authority that is his alone. It was a kingdom of God action. He brought the storm under the reign and purposes of God. The kingdom was at work here, not to make the disciples’ lives easier, but so that the kingdom might advance when Jesus and the disciples would land on ‘the other side’. Jesus has himself been calm, "sleeping in the stern upon the pillow that was customarily kept under the coxswain’s seat for those who were not involved in the actual sailing or fishing". In other words, Jesus commanded the storm to be calm as he himself is calm. He brought the storm into line with his own person and character. That is what it means to bring something or someone under the kingdom of God. Jesus brings people and circumstances into his orbit, influence, and likeness.
The rebuke did not stop with the storm, but extended to the disciples: "He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ "(Verse 40) As the calm Jesus made the storm calm, so he sought calm in his disciples. One of the early Christian symbols for the Church was a boat. You can see ancient drawings where the Church is represented as a boat. That idea is taken from this passage. When the Early Church set out on her task of Christian witness, she frequently encountered the storms of persecution for her faith, but knowing that Jesus was asleep in the stern with them, all would be under his sovereign care.
In Christ,
Brown
http://youtu.be/DSKnkqAOhpA
A Special
Thanksgiving Worship;
Saturday, November
17, 2012
Location: First
United Methodist Church, 53 McKinley Ave., Endicott
Sponsored by: Union
Center United Methodist Church
Speaker: Dr. Dino
Pedrone,
President, Davis
College, Binghamton,
Special Music :
Worship Band of Davis College,
Organist : Yancey
Moore
Pianist: Aric
Phinney
All are welcome. For
Information call: 607-748-6329
or
607-748-1358
No comments:
Post a Comment