Do Not Be Afraid
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s devotional speaks to the struggles and storms that come into our life, those times when we experience such opposition that we wonder if we will ever get anything accomplished. Rowing against the winds of the world we wonder if Jesus is going to pass us by…that it might be His intention to meet us on the other side of our struggle and not in the middle of the storm. It is in this storm that we experience the positive power of desperation, when we come to the end of self and invite God and His joy and love and light into our boat. The struggle facing Jesus and His disciples in our scripture reading was formidable. Jesus had just been rejected in His own home town. His cousin, John the Baptist had just had his head served up on a platter by the government and the disciples were struggling in the face of even amazing miracles, like healings and the feeding of the multitudes, to have enough faith to keep them going. It is in the middle of this emotional storm that Jesus goes up to the mountain to pray. It is in the middle of the lake that Jesus gets in the boat and immediately it is on the other side. Maybe Jesus was praying for deliverance but I do not think so. I think Jesus knew the power of the struggle and its purpose in helping us to experience God. That is why I think Jesus prayed for the disciples as He told them in the storm to take courage… Do Not Be Afraid.
Scripture: So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Mark 6:40-52 (NRSV)
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:21-28 (NRSV)
Message: Friends, be careful what you say and do so that you do not harden your heart against God. Know that when Jesus gets into your boat you are at your destination. It is here Jesus is telling His disciples – and us – that what we have signed up for is to go to war and that we face the possibility of suffering, danger… and maybe even death. Ok most of those reading this are going to think that they signed up for the benefits…the pleasant music and inspiring preaching and good meals but that is not it at all. Sure there are great benefits and yes it is worth it, but this work of being a Christian is hard work and make no mistake about this…it can be dangerous. There are storms. But then there is Jesus that rules.
Pray we are not afraid to confess our sins and repent. Pray we commit our souls to obedience for we cannot save ourselves. Pray we not take a position of self-will and stubbornness against God. Pray our self-will not control our feelings and intellect in a way that is a prejudice against God. Pray that in our pride we not indulge erroneous views of God. Pray we not delay to practice daily our confidence in God. Pray we think on that which is divine. Pray we find our life with Christ. Pray our hearts not be hardened against the Lord of the Universe who knows us better than we know ourselves. Pray we desire Jesus in our boat. Pray we not harden our hearts against the possibility of our own salvation because the future has a cross for each of us to bear. Pray we are not a stumbling block for God’s love to change the world. Pray we realize that there are sins of omission and commission and disposition and that we need forgiveness for them all.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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