WATCHWORD:
39-44 Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.
45-46 As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.
47-49 Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.
50-52 Jesus was quick to comfort them: “Courage! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn’t understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts. Mark 6:39-52 (Message)
Meditation:
Forecast: Storms
Late one afternoon, returning from a long trip, the news on the radio was filled with so many disasters, throughout our country. Take your pick; on the west coast, the east coast and the gulf, racial stresses and, of course, the election, just around the corner. I don’t know how many million people are currently displaced by the raging forest fires in the west. And that’s not even the worst part of it. The air quality is not fit to breathe. I think about the long-range affect over days, weeks, months, and probably years for those people, on top of their loss of homes.
Then turn your attention to the hurricanes and tropical storms battering the east coast and into the gulf. Think about over two feet of rain in a short period of time! How would we handle that? It boggles the mind. Add to that, wind gusts up to 105 mph, uprooting giant trees, crushing homes. And again, we have hundreds of thousands homeless, out of electricity, fighting floods. I had visited my children in California where temperatures stayed at 105 +, not for a day, but for ten days in a row. People everywhere just trying to survive.
In our circle of family and friends, we have many who are battling health problems, undergoing serious treatments, recovering from surgeries, or living through grief. Our praying for the many is obvious, but, at times, praying for such a multitude seems inadequate in the face of so much pain and loss. And yet…
And yet, we, who have Jesus the Christ are right there in the boat with us, with the disciples. But, wait, we have an edge on those guys. We not only know that Jesus will calm the storm, and he will allay our fears, for we have experienced that in our own lives. We know the many times, when our “Help me, Jesus” cry went out, he walked across that storm to us—rescued! So many times our prayers for loved ones were answered, not always in the way we would want them, but always according to God’s Will.
Those disciples were in the process of learning something important for their ministry, equipping them for what was to come. Did you notice in the scripture passage that Jesus “insisted” they get in the boat and go out on the Sea? Was it a blessed set-up? A lesson that needed to be learned? Over the months since they left Capernaum, they had seen their Master performing healings and life-giving messages, not the least of which was the feeding of 5000. But, did they get it? Now he had come to them in their need. He had come to them in their fear. He had walked the waters to them, and the reality of who He is finally penetrated their minds. Their hearts would take a little more time.
How about you? Did it take a storm to open your heart to the presence of the Holy Spirit, that was already there? A Spirit that had been there when you needed to overcome fear, or nervousness or safety or a health crisis, or a loss? Yes?
We pray for the hurting people, that they will find peace and safety. That they will see the path to rebuild with help — lots and lots of help. You know there will be a call for assistance, and that’s when we become the hands, the hearts and the pocketbooks of God. Generosity is a character trait of a Christian, is it not? Think carefully and prayerfully about that. So be it.
Morning Prayer:
Invitation — In this Morning Prayer, focus on all those whose lives have changed so radically, and fearfully, on those who are hurting because of climate change, decisions made by others or health matters, and for our nation. Let this be our prayer for this morning —
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation and deliver your people from storms of floods, of weather, of health, from all forms of evil, for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.
