{"id":5998,"date":"2017-09-11T16:36:11","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T23:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/uncommongodcommongood\/?p=5998"},"modified":"2017-09-11T16:59:21","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T23:59:21","slug":"aware-gods-presence-waters-fires-rage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/uncommongodcommongood\/2017\/09\/aware-gods-presence-waters-fires-rage\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Aware of God’s Presence, As The Waters And Fires Rage."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"waters\"<\/a>
Creative Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Storms and waters pound states like Florida and Texas while fires rage in the states of Oregon and Washington. They have caused such devastation, destroying anything in their path.<\/p>\n

Luke 8:22-25 may come as a source of comfort and\/or consternation to people facing various dangers and disasters in life. Jesus is found sound asleep in a boat on a lake during a raging storm as his disciples frantically try to cross to land (some of them expert sailors), no doubt bailing water as they go.<\/p>\n

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them,\u00a0\u201cLet us go across to the other side of\u00a0the lake.\u201d\u00a0So they set out,\u00a0and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on\u00a0the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger.\u00a0And they went and woke him, saying, \u201cMaster, Master, we are perishing!\u201d And he awoke and\u00a0rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased,\u00a0and there was a calm.\u00a0He said to them,\u00a0\u201cWhere is your faith?\u201d\u00a0And they\u00a0were afraid, and they\u00a0marveled, saying to one another, \u201cWho then is this, that\u00a0he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?\u201d (Luke 8:22-25; ESV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As the story reveals, in a fit of panic, the disciples wake Jesus, telling them they are going to drown. Jesus gets up, rebukes and silences the winds and waves, and then gently exhorts his followers to trust him.<\/p>\n

No doubt, the Synoptic treatments of this episode are intended to show that Jesus is master of the watery chaos and abyss. They are led to ponder: \u201cWho then is this?\u201d No doubt they (we?) are reminded of their Jewish Scriptures\u2014from the creation account to Israel\u2019s crossing of the Red Sea, to the crossing of the\u00a0Jordan River. In all three events, God demonstrates his authority and power over the watery chaos (see Peter Enns\u2019 engagement of Luke 8\u00a0here<\/a>). Psalm 107:23-32 also makes this point:<\/p>\n

Some\u00a0went down to the sea in ships,
\ndoing business on the great waters;
\nthey saw the deeds of the\u00a0Lord,
\nhis wondrous works in the deep.
\nFor he\u00a0commanded and\u00a0raised the stormy wind,
\nwhich lifted up the waves of the sea.
\nThey mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
\ntheir courage\u00a0melted away in their evil plight;
\nthey reeled and\u00a0staggered like drunken men
\nand\u00a0were at their wits\u2019 end.
\nThen they cried to the\u00a0Lord\u00a0in their trouble,
\nand he delivered them from their distress.
\nHe\u00a0made the storm be still,
\nand the waves of the sea were hushed.
\nThen they were glad that the waters were quiet,
\nand he brought them to their desired haven.
\nLet them thank the\u00a0Lord\u00a0for his steadfast love,
\nfor his wondrous works to the children of man!
\nLet them\u00a0extol him in\u00a0the congregation of the people,
\nand praise him in the assembly of the elders. (ESV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If I were one of the disciples, I may have been very upset that Jesus would lead us to get into a boat to cross a lake, if he were to know that a dangerous storm would rise and that he would sleep through it. Then again, after it was all said and done, I might ponder: \u201cWho then is this?\u201d None of this shakes him. In fact, he controls destiny, even as he sleeps, as well as the winds and waves, even with a word of rebuke.<\/p>\n

Karl Barth references this gospel story and reminds the church that our ultimate confidence is in the Lord, not our ecclesial establishment and expertise.\u00a0(Refer here<\/a>\u00a0and here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Even expert fisherman (who would become leaders of the church) could not navigate the storm, only the Lord.<\/p>\n

It is easy to be wary and afraid and lament to the point of despair in the face of natural and religious disasters that rage in our day. While we must do our part to bail water where necessary, this account in all three Synoptic Gospels reminds us to be aware: as long as the Lord is in the ship we need not fear total destruction. Our ultimate destiny is secure:\u00a0\u201cWho then is this, that\u00a0he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the second of four posts addressing the theme of awareness and wariness. Refer here<\/a> for the first post. The second through fourth posts engage accounts in Luke 8.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Storms and waters pound states like Florida and Texas while fires rage in the states of Oregon and Washington. They have caused such devastation, destroying anything in their path. Luke 8:22-25 may come as a source of comfort and\/or consternation to people facing various dangers and disasters in life. Jesus is found sound asleep in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1284,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBe Aware of God's Presence, As The Waters And Fires Rage.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Storms and waters pound states like Florida and Texas while fires rage in the states of Oregon and Washington. 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