And the same day,
when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other
side. And when they had
sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there
were also with him other little ships. And there arose a
great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the
hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto
him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and
rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm. And he said unto
them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared
exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the
wind and the sea obey him?
MARK 4: 35 - 41
Today's text invites all the disciples of Jesus Christ, those of the
first century as well as those of the centuries that followed, to travel with
their Savior to the other side of what they consider to be their sea. After a
busy day of healing and teaching among the crowds, Jesus instructs his
disciples to go to the other side of the lake. These verses convey rich lessons
about mission, the faith of disciples, Jesus' divine authority, and the
submission of natural and evil forces.
- Discipleship
and mission. Gentiles inhabit the eastern side of the lake.
Jesus takes his disciples to bring the good news of God's kingdom to these
people. To be disciples of Jesus Christ requires a readiness to embark on
unfamiliar, new ground every time the Lord sends us.
- Discipleship
and the faith of disciples. Facing the danger of a furious squall, the
disciples grow fearful. They waken Jesus from his deserved rest, implying
his indifference to their situation: "Teacher, don't you care if we
drown!" (RSV). For those disciples and for us today, it is one thing
to remember that Jesus is in our midst; it is another to believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the master of all circumstances.
- Discipleship
and Jesus' authority. By divine power Jesus rebukes the winds and waves
in the same way he has rebuked evil spirits in people. Agitation,
violence, and disorder may signal a lack of authentic and true authority.
But where Christ is acknowledged as alive in the midst of his disciples,
there is hope for silence and authentic peace.
Lord,
we thank you for bringing us together as delegates from across the world. Be
present in our midst in our times. Strengthen our faith that we may make
disciples for the transformation of our troubled world. Amen.\
-David
K. Yemba, Embark, Dakotas Ann Conf.
God Is Still In Control!
Miss Lladale Carey
Web Content Producer
www.umcgiving.org
lcarey@umcom.org
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