Sunday 12 B (2015)

We are still not very far into Mark’s gospel:

towards the end of the fourth chapter.

People are very interested in Jesus’ teaching,

both in its content

and in the self-assurance with which he delivers it.

They are also noticing his radical approach

to aspects of religious observance,

how comfortable he is bringing his message to all sorts of people,

and his capacity to bring healing.

He has chosen some followers to be his close companions.

As we heard at the end of last Sunday’s gospel,

this ‘inner circle’ was being instructed more deeply.

Last’s Sunday’s gospel finished with:

‘he explained everything’ to them ‘when they were alone’.

This makes it sound like Jesus simply laid out more extensive explanations for his inner circle. He certainly did do this,

but that isn’t the full sense.

The ‘everything’ that is to be explained is Jesus himself,

not just his teaching.

Mark follows straight on from

‘he explained everything’ to them ‘when they were alone’

to today’s passage: in which Jesus and the disciples are alone.

They set out on a boat trip.

The weather gets bad and the boat is taking on water.

At least four of the disciples,

Peter, Andrew, James and John, are fishermen.

They understand what is going on.

They know what the situation needs.

Jesus, the carpenter [Mark 6:3],

surely lacking their experience, is sleeping.

It seems clear to me that they wake Jesus

because they think he should be helping bail out water.

They need all hands on deck.

Instead of bailing out water:

He... rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm’

he quietens the storm.

All nature is under God:

our reading from the book of Job and our psalm today

were expressions of this.

In the calming of the storm

the disciples are being opened up to Jesus’ divinity:

prepared for the meaning of his death, when it comes.

He quietens the storm and then he addresses the disciples:

‘Why are you so frightened?

How is it that you have no faith?’

The word ‘frightened’ here is close to ‘cowardly’ and ‘timid’.

I think the disciples’ reaction is a response to what Jesus did,

not to the storm.

They are wondering what they are getting themselves into;

they are feeling uncomfortable,

wanting to be somewhere else,

they are wondering ‘Who can this be?’

Jesus’ words, to the disciples

‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’

are also words to us, for us to ponder individually this week.

They contrast fear and faith.

Timidity is overcome by trust: trust in the all-embracing God,

illustrated last week by a tree with shade for all,

and trust in Jesus as the authentic presence of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is encouraging his disciples,

and us,

not to back away

but to pay close attention to who he is

and to trust him wholeheartedly.