Faith on the waters, unknown
2024 Theme: Buccaneers of the Seven Seas
He spoke in parables only:
In chapter 4,
St. Mark records a story of Jesus and his disciples when they set out to sea.
They were going across the Sea of Galilei, 4:35-41
The account
tells of Jesus' desire to go to the other side of the sea after a whole day of
teaching of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and influence of the Word of
God.
Mark 4:33-34
And with many such
parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without
a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone he expounded all
things to his disciples.”
In the days of
the Bible, many people were illiterate. They loved their family, worked to make
money and negotiated with the world in order to make it through life. Jesus did not place his words in a book for
people to read because that was not how people learned. The legal, academic and
ruling classes did and were thriving on being literate but not regular folks.
Jesus spoke to
the people in parables because he knew that this was how they processed
right from wrong, practical from impractical.
This was how they learned and made it from one day to the next. Jesus
related His wisdom about the Kingdom of God in stories of which, they could
relate.
This is very much like what caregivers do for their
patients. The care receiver is in the moment and cannot sustain a technical
conversation about how they need to feel but if the caregiver finds a story
that connects with them, they will usually find success in helping to gain
respect and find a way to offer personal care.
·
: Out on
the open sea
“The Sea of Galilee is about 700
ft below sea level. 13 miles long and eight miles wide. At its southern end is
a deep, cliff-lined valley. The wind funneling through the surrounding hills
and through this valley can whip the lake into sudden violent storms.”
These men were not greenhorns in the fishing industry. The
Bible says that Zebedee, James and John's father had crews who worked for him. These men were used to what could happen
on the water. But they were panicking.
• Do You Not
Care that we Perish?
If you have done caregiving for a good amount of time you
have come across times when you did not understand why something is going
wrong. The meds are not kicking in fast enough, the family member is being
selfish in their concern for their loved one, the organization is not treating
my patient in the right way. All kinds of issues stand in the way of making
life better for the person in your hands.
What do you do?
What do I do Lord!
I got into this field to make a difference! I am here
because I want to help somebody feel better! Don't you care that this issue is
resolved? I am hanging on and You don't seem to be helping! I am about to die here! Please Help me!
Just think
about the last time you felt like this in your role of giving care. Now do you
think that the disciples were sitting very calm and sedated asking Jesus.
Master, don't you care that we are dying. NOT! They were probably yelling and
hollering. Master, get up we are about to die!
How would this
strike you if you were just waking up from a deep sleep? Think about it.
But Jesus had a better response.
·
Peace! Be Still!
Jesus has given us revelation to how God responds to our big
issues.
Many of us have
something that we can do with little effort. If you have met someone who is
experienced at cooking, you will notice that they can make up a meal out of
what seems to be nothing. I have met musicians who seem to use their talents to
create music out of thin air. What do you do personally, what is your niche? I
want you to think about that skill. The one thing you love to do. Now let's
look at Jesus
The Gospel of John says, “In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing
was made that was made.” John 1:1-3
John seems to double speak when he talks like this because
He is saying, “Hey y'all, He was with God in the beginning creating with God.
Then John drops a
bomb on the whole processing of intelligence by saying, “And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us, and we held His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.”
I have heard
people say something strange lately. That Jesus was not God but the Son of God.
That is gross error. This bomb dropped on the logic of theology in the 1st
Cent. Is that Jesus is one with God the Father. He is not the Father but He is
one with the Father. This is beyond our understanding and if you continue to
read the Gospel of John you will be blown away by what John continues to say
about Him. But notice.
If Jesus is this
one who was involved in the creating of the whole world. What could He not
do?
Isaiah 40:28, “The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator
of the ends of the earth. He doesn’t grow tired or weary. His understanding is
beyond human reach, giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted.”
Colossians 1:16
says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
Psalm 65:11 “You
crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.”
The drip is
the residue of what is in the cup. God's way has the drippings of abundance and
why should we worry? Jesus was in the boat. Jesus was asleep. Jesus is in
control of the storm and the sea and God knows what we are facing as
caregivers. He is fully aware, but He is not disturbed because nothing is
outside of His powerful grip and command.
This is why we can feel confident that God hears our
prayers. Psalm 66:20 “Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, Nor
His mercy from me!”
--- So, what does this tell you about how God helps us to
serve?
* He speaks so we
can understand.
*He is in the
situation with us not just looking down waiting for you to mess up.
*He is ready to
resolve both storms outside and inside of you.
As Jesus said to His disciples, “And lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age. Amen"
What are you saying to me chaplain?
If you
believe that what you do is a calling from above. Your calling in caregiving
will lead you to a deeper faith when you turn to the one who called you. The storm you face may seem unbearable and you
are right! God wants you to notice that, but He also wants you to look up to
Him and call for help.
When you
find yourself trying to complete your mission without God's help, remember the
words of Paul to the Galatians, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which
Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
He was
encouraging them and us to not try to make it on our own efforts. The yoke of
bondage is the self-centered idea that we can do anything on our own. No, we
can't because God wants us to turn to Him to accomplish the mission.
When you are facing a
storm, look to the Lord!
If you see a storm
coming up, look to the Lord!
if you have a storm happening inside you, look to the Lord!
And He will come to your rescue. Remember: God talks to us so we can understand
Him. God is in the middle of the storm with us. And God is not disturbed by the
storm because He is The Creator.
You have the
right calling,
you need the challenge to grow and believe. Then you will get a taste
of The Omnipotent and All Powerful One in action!
Mark 4:33-34
And with many such
parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without
a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone he expounded all
things to his disciples.”
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us
go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in
the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm
arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already
filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and
said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and
rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you
still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another,
“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Ref to Psalm 107:23-32 amazing
foreshadowing of this event.
Psalm 104:24 “LORD, you have done so many things! You made
them all so wisely! The earth is full of your creations! And then there's the
sea, wide and deep, with it countess creatures—living things both small and
large. There go the ships on it, and Leviathan, which you made, plays in it!
Psalm 36:9 “For with You is the fountain of life; In Your
light we see light.”
Closing verse
“But those who
hope in the LORD will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like
eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.” Is
40:31
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