Walk The Storm

Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Mark 6:48-50

It is a famous little story of walking the waters of the Sea of Galilee. Just the Son of Man out for a stroll on a dark and stormy night on top of the water. In such a circumstance, one can see how easy it would be to cause a mass panic with just one word, "ghost!" Storm outside, storm inside, and Jesus speaks a word or two, "Be of good cheer!" Did that ghost just say to be of good cheer? And some think there is no humor in Jesus. The words we want to hear from Him are there too, "It is I, do not be afraid." There are times in life when we look and a+b+c adds up to 'Aaaugh!' And then our Lord tells us to not be afraid. And invites us to walk the storm with Him.

So, take His hand and walk the storm!

Bucky

Prayer Priority

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Mark 6:45-46

In the scriptural now of our verses today, Jesus has performed the signs set for Him by the Father, and He has a priority that requires some alone time. What was so important that Jesus must get alone? He had a prayer priority, as the words of the scripture tell us. The thousands that Jesus fed with a couple of fishes and five little loaves were sent home. His precious disciples chosen out of the world were sent across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had an important meeting, and one we should take note of. Jesus sets for us an example to follow.

But, we may protest, the pastor prayed yesterday, the song leader said a prayer over the offering, the altar assistant prayed to start the communion, and a kid named Bubba came in from the street and prayed to start the fellowship dinner. Now you say we need to get alone for a special prayer? Oh yeah we do! Praying together in the fellowship does its thing, but Jesus showed and told us to pray alone with God. You, me, Bubba, and even the pastor, each need our alone time with God in prayer. Therefore, by divine command:

Enjoy a little prayer time today!

Bucky

Send Them Away?

But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” Mark 6:37

Sometimes we, like the disciples of Jesus in our verse today, have an idea of what Jesus can do for us. In verse 36, the disciples tell their rabbi to send them away, the easier solution to the problem. Nevermind that this multitude at least five thousand strong had just journeyed far to get there and they were nearly famished right then. "Send them away," was their solution. Jesus had a different option for His disciples, you guys feed them. Has a leader ever given you or I a more difficult task on the spot? It would be a different matter entirely if they were standing in a commercial kitchen with well-stocked walk-in refrigerators and freezers. But they were out in the lonely wilderness. What to do?

The disciples examine a couple of options, 200 denarii worth of bread, a couple of fishes and a few loaves, but they are each inadequate to the task at hand. And that is where we stand before the Lord Jesus too, inadequate. Fortunately for the disciples and for us, Jesus already had provision from His Father on the line and ready to roll. Like the disciples, once our inadequacy has been shown to us, and we believe in Him, then we get to help with the distribution of His provision. For the disciples it was food that day, for us it is the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Have a wonderful weekend with Jesus!

Bucky

Let's Take A Break

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. Mark 6:30-32

This small portion of the disciples journey seems right out of our lives today - busy, busy, busy. Jesus invites them to go to a deserted place for a little break. As we often run into, the next line after this scripture passage for today tells of their success. But the multitudes saw them departing...(v33). Oh dear, and yes those multitudes run, not walk, run to meet Jesus and His disciples in the formerly deserted place. This attempted break from their busy lives is of course the set up for the feeding of the 5,000. This event is memorable enough for the disciples that all four gospel accounts tell the story for us. The miracle of feeding thousands from a boy's lunch causes us to marvel to this day over the Lord's provision in that deserted place.

So, look to Jesus and keep on marvelin'!

Bucky

Dear Ol' Murderous Mum

He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”
Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 
Mark 6:23-25

The young woman performed so well that she earned a great reward from the king, But, she didn't know what to ask. However, upon consultation with her mother, dear ol' murderous Mum, she knew just what to ask for - the head of John the Baptizer. She may have added a platter to avoid needing to handle the head when it was brought to her. A smart move, because the story tells us that Herod in his hasty magnanimity caught himself in a pickle. He didn't want to fulfill their request, but he had made that oath in front of everyone. So who will suffer the judgment for this murder of one of God's holy prophets? 

Jesus did not condemn any of them. So, does that mean they could receive the forgiveness Jesus earned on the cross? Certainly, even murder was not off the table for salvation. All they needed to do was believe in Jesus the Christ... and confess to the murder of His voice of one crying in the wilderness. Woof! And I once thought my sins were hard to confess. 

Rejoice in the Christ, we have His forgiveness available to us all!

Bucky

Held Against Him

Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Mark 6:19-20

An illegitimately married couple, and she wants to kill the messenger while he wants to keep the man around. That should cause a bit of tension in the household.

In between the recording of the miracles and teachings of Jesus, we get how things are in the world. A queen who saw the easier way out was to murder a man. A king who could be easily outmaneuvered by his lust. A daughter who was a willing tool to her mother's ends. And, a just and holy man who was such a refreshing change for the time that the king liked having him around. When the good news of Jesus meets the way of the world, there will be a resounding clash. Some will hear it gladly, but may never believe. Others want to kill the messenger.

To God be the glory!

Bucky

A More Tolerable Judgment

Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”  Mark 6:10-11

In Sunday School it was taught how Abraham did some dickering with the Lord and got Him down to ten righteous men found in Sodom could avoid the destruction coming upon it. Even ten did not work out as all the men of the wicked city demanded to know the two angels of the Lord in a carnal manner. That we would agree is some serious wickedness. So when a town in Israel rejected the two disciples and their message sent by Jesus, Sodom and Gomorrah would receive a more tolerable judgment? That places so wicked would have less to fear in judgment than a place that rejected the words of Jesus tells us of a surpassingly important message. 

Maybe it's good news! 

Bucky