Passing me by?
Wednesday, Christmas Weekday, January 7, 2009
[1 John 4:11-18 Ps 72:2,10-13 Mk 6:45-52]
I often wonder—maybe you do, too—how many times does Jesus Christ pass me--pass us--by during the day and we fail to notice him. How many times did he do great things for me—for us—and we never saw him, never heard him, never acknowledged him, never gave him credit.
But today’s readings show us that we are not alone—He shows us that He’s with us, working with us, bringing us through the trials and storms of all of our lives.
He says, “Do not be afraid.”
And His people—His people are … well, you know, why, they’re afraid! They’re already afraid because of the storm, and now they think He’s a ghost!
But Jesus has power over that water. He walks on the very stuff that the disciples are afraid they are going to drown in!
Jesus tells them God’s message throughout the Bible: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
They had cried out to Him--they cried out in terror. How much worse could their lot have been?
"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid."
Take courage? Like it is being held out to be taken?
Yes, it is. Jesus offers himself. He gets into the boat with them. All is calm. Unfortunately for them, they misunderstood. "On the contrary, their hearts were hardened."
Wow.
Not only had Jesus not passed by, but He actually joined with them. And they, while "astounded"; well, it seems they missed the point, missed the encounter.
In a real way, these men actually put on Christ as a passenger, and yet, only as a passenger.
So what about the storms in our lives? Do we fear because we are not in control? We have no control about when they come on, how long they last, how intense they are. Do we fear because we have to do something about these storms? Whether it be illness or loss of a job, or a sick child—whatever--these things call us out of our comfort zones.
We have to cry out in our own terror, so to speak; and so often we have such little faith in trying times. We have more terror than faith. The blessing is to have faith when things are bad.
And how will we know He is there to save us? I think we’re not going to see Him in the storms, or the wind, or the earthquakes or the fires of our lives. I think we have to put look past the terror of our moments and call out to Him. We need to listen to Him calling back to us, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid."
And He will be in that hand outstretched to save us. He will be in the strength that pulls us up from the waters that rise up to our necks! He will be in the love that casts out fear. The perfect love.
But when the wind dies down and we have a chance to look closely at Him in the calm, and when we are astounded that we have found him in the encounter; well, we have to gurad against misunderstanding. We have to remember no pain no gain, no trial no treasure, no cross no crown. He knows who we are!
Don't let Him pass you by.
Wednesday, Christmas Weekday, January 7, 2009
[1 John 4:11-18 Ps 72:2,10-13 Mk 6:45-52]
I often wonder—maybe you do, too—how many times does Jesus Christ pass me--pass us--by during the day and we fail to notice him. How many times did he do great things for me—for us—and we never saw him, never heard him, never acknowledged him, never gave him credit.
But today’s readings show us that we are not alone—He shows us that He’s with us, working with us, bringing us through the trials and storms of all of our lives.
He says, “Do not be afraid.”
He is with us—that’s what we hear in the First Reading from the First Letter of John. God is with us, if only--if only--we love one another. In today's Gospel , Jesus made his disciples get into the boat while He went out to pray. Don't you wonder if He knew a storm was coming? He saw that they were tossed. He knew that the wind was against them.
And then He came to them, the drowning men, the desparate men, losing their battle with the sea in the darkness of night. We hear that "he meant to pass them by." But he comes walking on the water to them, to save them. God comes to be with His people!And His people—His people are … well, you know, why, they’re afraid! They’re already afraid because of the storm, and now they think He’s a ghost!
But Jesus has power over that water. He walks on the very stuff that the disciples are afraid they are going to drown in!
Jesus tells them God’s message throughout the Bible: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
They had cried out to Him--they cried out in terror. How much worse could their lot have been?
"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid."
Take courage? Like it is being held out to be taken?
Yes, it is. Jesus offers himself. He gets into the boat with them. All is calm. Unfortunately for them, they misunderstood. "On the contrary, their hearts were hardened."
Wow.
Not only had Jesus not passed by, but He actually joined with them. And they, while "astounded"; well, it seems they missed the point, missed the encounter.
In a real way, these men actually put on Christ as a passenger, and yet, only as a passenger.
So what about the storms in our lives? Do we fear because we are not in control? We have no control about when they come on, how long they last, how intense they are. Do we fear because we have to do something about these storms? Whether it be illness or loss of a job, or a sick child—whatever--these things call us out of our comfort zones.
We have to cry out in our own terror, so to speak; and so often we have such little faith in trying times. We have more terror than faith. The blessing is to have faith when things are bad.
And how will we know He is there to save us? I think we’re not going to see Him in the storms, or the wind, or the earthquakes or the fires of our lives. I think we have to put look past the terror of our moments and call out to Him. We need to listen to Him calling back to us, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid."
And He will be in that hand outstretched to save us. He will be in the strength that pulls us up from the waters that rise up to our necks! He will be in the love that casts out fear. The perfect love.
But when the wind dies down and we have a chance to look closely at Him in the calm, and when we are astounded that we have found him in the encounter; well, we have to gurad against misunderstanding. We have to remember no pain no gain, no trial no treasure, no cross no crown. He knows who we are!
Don't let Him pass you by.
Wonderful post Deacon.
ReplyDelete