Loving God, you reveal your love for us through Jesus and call us to come and follow and learn from him. By the power of your Spirit, work within us and through us, that others might hear the same call through us; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If you were to read the gospel of Mark from cover to cover, what you would find is a book that asks you, the reader, to fill in the blanks. Now, don't get me wrong - the facts are presented. We are told about what Jesus did and taught - his miracles, his disciples, his parables, and then the events leading up to his crucifixion and burial. Yet, all through the gospel of Mark and even at the end of it, we are asked the same question that shows up at the end of today's gospel: "Who then is this?" (Mk. 4:41). "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Who then is this, who is known by the demons and yet has the power to cast them out? Who then is this, who heals the sick and raises the dead back to life (cf. Mk. 5)?

Those who are familiar with the Old Testament, including the people who first heard Mark's gospel, have the tools in order to be able to answer these questions. In fact, the portion of Mark's gospel that was read today probably gives one of the most powerful answers. People would have asked, "Well, according to the Scriptures, who has power over the wind and the waves?" The answer becomes obvious in the first reading and in the psalm that we heard today. The answer is: God. God is the only one who has power over the wind and the waves. "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Could Jesus be God?

However, of course Mark reports more than just this one incident. Immediately after this storm at sea, Jesus and his disciples come ashore in Gentile territory and are met by a man who is possessed by a legion of demons. The demons proclaim right away who Jesus is: He is "Jesus, Son of the Most High God" (Mk. 5:7), and the demons are afraid of him because he has the power to send them away. Jesus allows the demons to enter a herd of pigs that's nearby, and the pigs all run down the hill into the lake and drown. The people who live there are so afraid that they beg Jesus to leave. Who then is this, who has power over the demons and is recognized by them as the Son of God?

What follows in Mark are two incidents which we will hear about next Sunday, where a woman is healed and a young girl is raised from the dead. According to the Scriptures, such things were supposed to happen when the time of the Messiah had come. Could Jesus be the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Saviour?

Reading Mark from cover to cover, keeping in mind the Hebrew Scriptures, we are led to conclude that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, our Saviour. He is the one who has power over the wind and the waves. He is the one who has power over the demons. He is the one with the power to heal and the power to raise the dead. He is the one who became God in the flesh for our sake.

Yet, we have not gathered here today simply to talk about who Jesus is. No - we are gathered here because when we know who Jesus is, it has an effect on our lives now. There is the initial surprise, or joy, or wonder when we realize that we are loved and redeemed by the Creator of the Universe. There is the humble gratitude when we realize how sinful we are, and how holy God is, and how we are forgiven through faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. There is the wonder and amazement when we first answer Jesus' call to come and follow him and learn from him.

Yet, that answer to Jesus' call to come and follow is not the end of the story, but merely the beginning of the next chapter. The disciples in today's gospel had answered the call to come and follow, yet still they were afraid. Jesus was leading them to places where they did not want to go and introducing them to people with whom they did not want to associate. There was much that they were afraid of on the other side of the lake. We are given clues to this by what the disciples find when they get there: a man inhabited by unclean spirits who lives among the tombs and a herd of swine.

To a Jewish person, all of this screams "unclean, unclean!" They had been taught to keep themselves "clean" for religious purposes. They were not to associate with Gentiles. They were not to touch tombs or dead bodies. They were not to go near pigs or swine, and they certainly wanted nothing to do with unclean spirits and demons! No wonder the disciples resist going to the other side of the lake! This is what the storm is all about.

Yet, what they don't seem to know is that Jesus has power over all of these things. When Jesus touches somebody who is unclean, that person becomes clean, and not the other way around. When Jesus is confronted by demons or unclean spirits, they are forced to obey him because of who he is. A tomb or a dead body don't do anything to make Jesus unclean, because he has power even over death.

The disciples, understandably, did not know these things yet. However, we do, and just like with those first disciples, Jesus leads us into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. As a church, we are called to share who Jesus is - not just with people who are "just like us," but with all people - all who are loved by God and all who have been saved by God. For most of us, this can be a very scary prospect. Yet, when we open our hearts and allow it to be so, we discover that God works through us.

God gives us the words to say when we rely on the Holy Spirit. God gives us the "eyes to see" and the "ears to hear" - allowing us to see others as Jesus does and to hear God's word for us in every situation. God works through us as we share the love of Christ in word and in deed and God causes the seed of faith to grow in the hearts of others.

God's power is there, ready to work through us when we answer the call of Jesus to come and follow. At the same time, the power of God is just as prevalent when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm. Yet, often when we are in the middle of a storm, we feel as if God has abandoned us.

The disciples felt as if Jesus didn't care and were afraid that they were going to drown. Of course, neither assumption was true. Jesus only had to say the word, and the wind and the waves were still. And the disciples only had to ask him. Yet, in the midst of our storms, the response is often not so dramatic.

For example, if we are dealing with illness and we go to God in prayer for healing, God is going to answer us according to what is best for us and for the whole situation -- which God can see, and we can't. And so, in some cases there is dramatic and immediate healing that takes place. Other times, healing comes through medical attention and treatment over time, because God sees that it is best for us to spend a little more time "being still." Other times, God sees that the best thing is for us to be released into the life to come, and so healing actually comes through death. In every case, our prayer for healing has been answered according to God's wisdom and mercy.

Another type of storm which is suggested by today's gospel is when we are overcome by fear and anxiety, regardless of what it is that is generating this anxiety for us. Just as Jesus has the power to make the wind and the waves be still, he has the power to bring that same stillness to our inner being. That stillness comes when we recognize that Jesus does have power over all things and when we hand over to him all that is troubling us. That stillness comes when we fill our hearts and our minds with Jesus and rest in him. That stillness comes when we give Jesus permission to come in and to say, "Peace! Be still!" (Mk. 4:39), for he has only to speak the word, and it is done.

Whatever our storms may be, there is always one who has the power to quiet them. For he is the one who has power over all things - the one who is the Messiah, the Son of God, our Saviour. May the Spirit enable us to put our trust in him and to follow wherever he leads. It might seem scary at times, but as long as Jesus leads the way, there is nothing to fear. Amen.

Proper 7(B) Mark 4:35-41
June 25, 2006 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church Job 38:1-11
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2006 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved