Luther Seminary

A daily devotion brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary

Archives for June 18, 2015

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)

Read Mark 4:35-41 on biblegateway.com

Verse 35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." Verse 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. Verse 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. Verse 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Verse 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. Verse 40He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" Verse 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Devotion

Leaving the crowd behind, (the disciples) took (Jesus) with them in the boat, just as he was, Mark's story tells us.
Jesus has been teaching the crowds. And he constantly spoke in parables because, I think, the deeper things of life can only be hinted at. Truth doesn't always translate well into regular or straight-line words.

Anyway, Jesus is pretty much done in. It's been a long day. Maybe even a long week. So the disciples whisked him away "just as he was." To my imagination I think he was toast!

So now we're back at sea. Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat. He's tired, right? And the disciples are rowing away. There are other boats with them. No reason to worry. After all, what could go wrong?

Are you ready for another dose of humility yet? Grab on to something. Time to mount up to heaven again! There's another storm coming!

Prayer

Lord of sea and sky, with those disciples we cry out, "Do you not care about us?" You sleep. We struggle. You are at peace. We are in turmoil. Speak your word of peace to us in the midst of our struggles. Amen.

Dave Brauer-Rieke Bishop, Oregon Synod, ELCA