Gospel June 21

Year B Gospel

Mark 4.35-41

"Who is this that even the wind and "the sea obey him." v.41.

Each of us live with a worldview. Today in the West that worldview tends toward scientific rationalism. i.e. the world operates according to scientific laws and principles and whatever happens can be quantified, measured, and explained. From that perspective the events described in this text are connected only by chance. Jesus words could not have caused the storm to cease; it just happened that the storm stopped at the moment that Jesus spoke. The scientific rationalist viewpoint does not cope well with miracles.

The disciples in the boat with Jesus
lived at a time when the existence of God (for the Jews) or gods was not questioned. The spirit world was real to them, and they depended on God for the rain, the sun, and for all they needed for their crops to grow and for them to survive. They had seen unexplainable events before, and had been with Jesus long enough for him to have healed the sick, and driven out demons before their eyes. Miracles were not new to them.

So here they were, in a familiar location, facing a situation that the fishermen among them had faced before on Lake Gennaseret (or the Sea of Galilee). Even those for whom that sea was their workplace cried out to Jesus for help. The fishermen asked the carpenter to save them from the storm...so he did.

Did he do what they expected? Clearly not...for the question that was remembered was this "Who is this that even the wind and sea obey him?" Though they had been with Jesus for a while what he did was far beyond what they imagined. They knew he could heal the sick. They knew he was able to drive out demons. Yet what he did exceeded anything they expected.

Do we expect Jesus to help us when we ask or does the worldview of our time and place mean that we don't even expect Jesus to do anything.... and are surprised when doors are open and prayers answered. In an era when the spiritual dimension of life is being acknowledged again perhaps it is time for Christians to expect more to happen when we ask God for help.