The Storm

Mark 4: 35-41

“35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?” 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. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Storms can be scary.   Even though I have lived through a tornado, hurricanes, and terrific thunder and lightning storms, I am still awed and occasionally terrified by the forces of nature.  They make me feel small and not in control.

The Disciples, even though they were seasoned fishermen and had encountered storms before, were still awed and terrified of the forces of nature that sent waves crashing over their boat, nearly sinking it.

Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat.  The sea was churning, the waves were swamping the boat, the wind was blowing, the Disciples were in a panic, and Jesus was sleeping.  It is just human nature that, when you are afraid and someone with you is sleeping through the scary event, you get a little irritated.

The Disciples woke Jesus up, and they asked him if he did not care that they were about to drown.  When a boat is in trouble on a violent sea, it is all hands on deck.  No one is exempt from trying to save the boat and the lives of the crew.  No one gets to sleep through the storm.

Jesus calmed the storm.  And this terrified the Disciples as much as the storm itself.  It was as if they had discovered that Jesus really was who he said he was.

When we encounter the living Christ, when we first realize who He is, it is frightening. It is not until we experience His eternal, unconditional love that we realize the sea that he has calmed is in our hearts.

And we know His peace.

The Things That Matter

Matthew 11: 20-21

“20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

I used to work at a University in an office with a window that looked out at the University library.  Each day a great number of students, professors, and other people walked by on the sidewalk in front of the library.  

One fall day, a woman and her child were walking by, and the child was following behind her mother, looking up at the colorful leaves on the trees, kicking the leaves that had fallen, shouting with joy.  The mother looked back at her and yelled for her to catch up.   She was late for whatever appointment she was marching to.  

The mother was so intent on the things of life, that she missed the miracle of her daughter, and the miracle of life that her daughter was witnessing.  She missed an opportunity of great love and  joy.

The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida did not understand the miracles that Jesus had performed and that they had witnessed.  They missed an opportunity of knowing the great love and joy of Christ.

One of our great tasks in life is to pay attention to the things that really matter, like  the miracle of life in Christ, and the miracles of love and joy.

The Extraordinary Purpose

Luke 6: 12-19

“12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

Jesus chose the Twelve from among his disciples.  He needed an inner circle, a group who knew him intimately, who could tell his story and spread his message.  Jesus knew that his time on earth was nearing its end.  He chose these twelve so that he could write the gospel message on their hearts.

The Greek word for disciple means pupil or learner.  These twelve were to be learners chosen to become teachers and leaders.  The Greek word for Apostle means a person who is sent out.  They were to be sent out as envoys and ambassadors to the faith.

John Wesley once wrote “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”

Christ chose ordinary people for an extraordinary purpose.  They were fisherman and tax collectors, people of ordinary education and social status.  People like you and like me.

With twelve ordinary people empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christ changed the world.

Today, all Christians are called to be examples of Christ’s life and teachings in this world; to offer love where there is hate, peace where there is chaos, and forgiveness where there is retribution and anger.

And that is truly an extraordinary purpose.

The Gardener

Luke 13:6-9

“6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

I have often wondered if the gardener resolved the problem or cut the fig tree down.  All gardeners love their plants and cutting one down is very hard.  We have all had plants or shrubs in our yards that will not grow or flower or bear fruit, no matter how much we baby them. 

Our plants are precious to us, and when we finally realize that this plant is never going to be what it is supposed to be, we still hesitate before we cut it down.  We hesitate because we have this picture in our heads of this plant with beautiful blooms and green leaves, and limbs filled with fruit.

This is how God sees us, and this is why he forgives us time after time for our shortcomings.  This is why he gives us his Holy Spirit, why he speaks to us through his word, and why he leads us into the lives of others and leads others into our lives at just the right moment.  

God wants us to bloom and bear fruit.  And, during our lifetime, God will never give up on us.  

We are all precious in his sight.