Tuesday, October 10, 2017

DO YOU KNOW JESUS IS WITH YOU?



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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"

Matthew 8:23-27

That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”

Mark 4:35-41

One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” He asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him.”

Luke 8:22-25
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
How do you respond when times of trouble arise?

That is the question at the heart of today’s scripture passages from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Look again at these accounts here:

Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"  Matthew 8:23-27

That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”  Mark 4:35-41

One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” He asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him.”  Luke 8:22-25

Looking at Mark’s version of this event, we find Jesus having just finished teaching a crowd of people through parables before suggesting to His disciples that they “go over to the other side” as evening fell. And so Jesus and His disciples did just that, embarking on a boat and setting sail. We know they weren’t at sea alone because Mark adds that “there were other boats” with them. Of course, this wasn’t the first time Jesus and His faithful followers had navigated the Sea of Galilee but as we see from the scriptures, this particular trip would be very different.

For we read where “a furious storm came up on the lake” without warning. So strong was the storm that “the waves swept over the boat” but none of this woke Jesus who was “in the stern”, sleeping on a cushion.
The disciples weren’t quite as relaxed, frightened and fearing for their lives, so much that they woke Jesus saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Mark’s account proposes they said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Well Jesus woke up and we can see by His words, He wasn’t in a good mood. We know He was upset at their actions, for He criticizes and rebukes His devout followers replying:

“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

He then got up and “rebuked the winds and the waves” saying, “Quiet! Be still!” And with that, the wind and sea conditions changed, becoming “completely calm”.
Now the disciples had seen Jesus do some amazing, incredible things but even they could barely grasp what they had just witnessed for they asked one another:

“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"
Indeed, what kind of man was this?

One thing is for sure. He was unlike any man who had come before and no such man has come after. For this man is none other than Jesus, fully man but also fully God. He is the Lord of all Lords, the King of all Kings, the prophesied Almighty Christ.

Friends, how many times are we like the disciples? Our faith stays firm when conditions are good but let a storm blow in suddenly and we end up in a panic, afraid, and crying out to be saved as if Jesus is asleep while we are in need.

You see, the disciples lost sight of the fact that Jesus was with them.

Yes, He was asleep.

So what?

He was there in the boat with the disciples.

Did they really think that Jesus would allow them to die while He was catching a nap? Would Jesus have called them all to follow Him only to kill them on the Sea of Galilee?
It’s little wonder why Jesus was upset at them for waking Him up. He wasn’t so angry that they had disturbed His sleep. No, rather He was disappointed that they didn’t show more faith, faith that He would not allow them to perish.

I wonder how many times He feels the same way about us and the way we respond to our own storms of life when the waves of our difficulties start to flood into our boats?

Friends, the disciples had only known Jesus for a short time and yet they had seen the miraculous power He possessed. We on the other hand have the entire account of Jesus’ life and ministry through the scriptures to include the greatest extraordinary act of all as He conquered death and the grave to ascend into heaven and sit on the right hand of God, His Father and ours.

We know this and yet we doubt even though Jesus is in the business of controlling, calming, and dissipating any furious tempest or squall that might blow up suddenly in our lives. We lose faith and think He has somehow left us when we know He would never leave us nor forsake us.

And didn’t He promise His disciples (and us as well) that He would be with us until the end of the age when He gave His Great Commission? (Matthew 28)
Listen, it’s time for us to stop wavering when it comes to our trust in Jesus, our Lord, and remember and embrace the truth that He is always with us, aware of our needs, and more than capable and willing to handle anything we’re going through. We need never forget that with Jesus, all things are possible.

All things.

So today and every day, put your faith in Jesus, knowing He is ever with you, in good times and bad.  
Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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