“As far back as we can trace their ancient scriptures, the Jewish people had believed that their story was going somewhere, that it had a goal in mind. Despite many setbacks and disappointments, their God would make sure they reached the goal at last. This is the story within which many Jews of Jesus’ day believed, passionately, that they themselves were living. They were, themselves, actors within its ongoing drama. It is, I think, hard for people today to imagine what it’s like to live within a long story in this way. The closest we come, perhaps, is the widespread assumption that ever since the rise of the modern Western world we are acting out a story of “progress.” History is the story of movements of progressive freedom, and we must go forward and make the next one happen, and the next one after that. People today still believe this myth of progress… “Now that we live in the twenty-first century…” Those phrases signal the presence of some kind of “progressive” agenda”. (“The Jewish Storm”, Simply Jesus,  N. T. Wright, p. 31) 

I think it is hard for modern Americans to understand the kind of prolonged, cultural story that the Jewish people who telling, and retelling, and had been for thousands of years. Our own country is barely 250 years old – and we are in a crisis today of trying to understand what our story actually is. While the Jews were well established after 500 years of slavery in Egypt, and on a prolonged journey by the time of Moses, the story they tell of a promised land and their chosen-ness by G-d has been the same story since. In America, we cannot even agree on why we fought the Civil War, just 155 years ago. While the Jews are able to focus on past promises, and the eventual fulfillment of those promises, American’s have no idea who we are as a people anymore.

And if we cannot agree on who we are as American’s, we surely better agree on who we are as Christians. And as Christians, we believe that G-d created us, Jesus redeems us, and the Holy Spirit sustains us. Of course, it is more than that. To be Christians, we need to learn to step outside of ourselves and serve our neighbors. As many have said to me lately, if we are to serve the needy, we have to also serve the greedy. In other words, we offer people unconditional grace, love and ministry – and let G-d work out the details.

Pastor Dave

“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

“How can we tell the story of Jesus in a simple way, when so many elemental forces came rushing together at that point in space and time? So much history, so many bad memories, such high expectations and aspirations, such a tangled web of faith and fear and hatred and hope. And so many memorable characters crowding onto the stage, catching our eye and firing our imagination: Mary Magdalene, Peter, Pontius Pilate, Judas….the list goes on. And then we catch a glimpse—or was it just our imagination?—of Jesus himself, towering over them but without ever appearing aloof. Who was he? What was he about? What was he trying to do? Why should we care, two thousand years later? These were, of course, the questions his closest friends wanted to ask as they woke him up in the middle of an actual storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus wasn’t fazed. According to the story, he got up and told the storm to be quiet. And it obeyed him. I think his friends told that story…because they saw in it something of the larger story they were struggling to tell: the story of a man in the eye of the storm, the storm of history and culture, of politics and piety, a man who seemed to be asleep in the middle of it all….” (“The Making of a First-Century Storm”, Simply Jesus,  N. T. Wright, p. 27-28)

What do we say about someone who is able to stand up in the middle of a storm at sea, and tell it to stop – and it listens to him? If this was not the case, if the historicity of this account is not genuine, why would the story have lasted over the centuries? If it was hyperbole, it wouldn’t have lasted ten years – but it has stood the test of time. Imagine, someone enters your house during a hurricane, tells you he or she can stop the storm, and then goes outside and commands the storm to cease – and it does. What would you do? Would you share the story with the news, if anyone would dare believe you? Would you keep the story to yourself? Would you tell your closest friends? How would you convince people to believe you? Could you convince people to believe you?

Mainstream religious folks have trouble believing this story. Many will say “Yes, it absolutely happened.” Others would say “This is a metaphor for the overarching struggle for his followers to explain his divinity.”

What you and I can say is this – when we find ourselves trying to tell others about Jesus and what we believe about him, we too may indeed feel as if we are being overtaken by a storm – a storm of disbelief and incredulity. But let me tell you my friends, Jesus is not asleep in the stern of the boat. Jesus is alive and seeking to help you navigate your way through life, if you take the time to listen, to read, to discern, and to share with others his love, mercy and Grace.

Pastor Dave