Friday, December 07, 2012

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Friday, December 07, 2012          I Calmed the Wind and Sea        

Page 117      Matthew 8:18, 23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25

On my first morning in Israel, I stood on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and looked eastward toward the Golan Heights. The Sea was very calm that morning, with barely a ripple on the surface. The Sea is situated in a valley and the weather is temperamental as winds funnel down through the mountains. Other than the fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, the Jews were not people of the water. They feared the sea and believed that evil, or monsters, came out of the sea. (See Daniel 7) They believed that only God was greater than the power of the sea. (See Psalms 65; 89; 93; and 107) I imagine the disciples were incredulous that Jesus curled up and took a nap as they sailed across the Sea. The disciples kept watch for the dangers they knew lurked in the Sea as they processed Jesus’ parables about seeds, soil and harvests.

Although the disciples had witnessed Jesus perform miraculous healings, and even the raising of a boy from the dead, those memories faded into the background when the storm struck as all the fears they imagined became very real. They knew they were about to die, and snoozing Jesus didn’t even seem to care.

Jesus calmed the storm in a demonstration of his authority over all creation and asked his disciples “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). In the face of a very real peril threatening the disciples, Jesus’ questions seem harsh. Jesus’ words needed to be strong because they were an invitation for the disciples to process something more terrifying than their fear of the Sea: “The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41).

It was God Almighty who parted the Red Sea. The psalmist proclaimed it was God Almighty who calmed the waters. It is the Messiah, the Son of Man, who has been “given authority, honor, and sovereignty” over all creation (Daniel 7:13-14). Is this the person who was in the boat with the disciples? If so, the disciples didn’t have to be afraid.

Neither do I.

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Monday, December 10, 2012       I Healed a Demon-Possessed Man       

Page 117-118         Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39