4th Sunday after Pentecost (B)

June 21, 2015

The Rev. Karen Reeman, Dcn.

Todays gospel passage tells a seemingly simple story

with an obvious message. Jesus crosses the Sea of
Galilee in a small boat with his disciples. While Jesus is
asleep, a windstorm rises up and the boat is quickly
swamped. The disciples are alarmed and wake Jesus.
Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?, they
ask in anguish. Jesus rebukes the wind saying, Peace!
Be still! The wind ceases and the sea instantly becomes
calm. He then turns to his disciples and says, Why are
you afraid? Have you still no faith?
Whats the obvious message? If you have faith, you
wont be afraid. But, who wouldnt be afraid? Confronted
with frightening circumstances, with situations that
threaten our way of life or our very existence, I think its
only human to be afraid. Yet, wouldnt it be wonderful to
have such an abiding faith? Is there anything we can do?
I believe, help my unbelief! (Mark 9:24).
Recognize this plea from Mark Chap. 9? Thats what the
father of the epileptic demonic cries out to Jesus when he
begs Jesus to heal his son.
I believe, help my unbelief! Fortunately todays
gospel reading gives us help.

Jesus says to his disciples, Let us go across to the other

side. When Jesus disciples follow him into the boat,
they dont know what to expect. Besides the present
scenario where Jesus calms a windstorm, and they cross
safely, there are at least three other possibilities. There
could have been no windstorm, and thus no incident. Or,
a windstorm rises, Jesus doesnt wake, and they cross
safely anyway. Or, lastly, a windstorm rises, and the boat
capsizes.
If there had been no windstorm, and they crossed without
incident, or if Jesus continued to sleep, and they crossed
safely anyway, the disciples would not have suspected
Jesus divinity. Jesus disciples only begin to believe in
Jesus after he answers their plea, and calms the storm.
And they were filled with great awe and said to
one another, Who then is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41).
Isnt that a lot like life? When things are going great, or
when we manage to survive tough situations without
acknowledging Jesus, our faith doesnt grow. Its only
when we experience hardship and recognize that we are
not alone, that Jesus is with us, does our faith mature.
But experiencing hardship does not automatically deepen
a persons faith. Sadly, I have known many people who
have experienced hardship being an Adult Child of
Alcoholics (ACOA), stricken with leukemia or another lifethreatening illness, death of a child, estrangement from
loved-ones (social death), and the list goes on endlessly
that are no more faithful after tragedy strikes, than
before.

So, how does someone begin their faith journey? As

todays gospel teaches, when Jesus calls, you have to
get in the boat.
On that day, when the evening had come, he
[Jesus] said to them, Let us go across to the other
side. And leaving the crowd behind, they took him
with them in the boat, just as he was. (Mark 4:3536)
Since all of you are sitting in the pews this morning, you
are clearly already on board and desiring to deepen
your faith. But you probably know many people friends
or co-workers who have no idea what they are missing.
The crowds followed Jesus not only for the miracles he
performed, but also for the food! (John 6:15, 26) Emulate
Jesus. Invite people you know to join you. Invite them to
come to the other side if only because we have coffee
hour!
Ok, you can honestly say that you have faith. And
remember, it doesnt take much: your faith only has to
be as large as a mustard seed (Matt 17-20). How does an
already faithful person deepen their faith so that they can
access the redemptive power of our Lord Jesus Christ? I
think todays reading from Pauls 2nd letter to the
Corinthians gives us the key to turning, what I call,
misery to ministry; the key, with Gods help, to literally
the Kingdom of Heaven.
Corinth was a city-state on the isthmus (a narrow stretch
of land) that joined the Peloponnese to mainland Greece,
roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta. Paul

founded the church at Corinth around 50-52 C.E. during

his 2rd missionary journey. During Pauls 3rd missionary
journey, his authority and teaching in Corinth was
undermined by a group of Jewish-Christian missionaries.
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians (or the constituent letter
fragments) in defense of the legitimacy and integrity of
his apostolic mission.1
These missionaries argued that Paul could not possibly be
the spirit-filled apostle of the risen Christ because he was
weak (2 Cor 10:10-11), his speech lacked power and
conviction (2 Cor 11:6), and they questioned his motives
for collecting money for the Jerusalem Church (2 Cor
8:20-21).2
Paul points out to the Jewish-Christian missionaries that
they judge according human standards of measuring
themselves with one another (2 Cor 10:12) and in
contrast says that the true proof of discipleship is a faithfilled response to afflictions, hardships, and calamities
(2 Cor 6:4).
. . . We (inc. Timothy) are treated as impostors,
and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well
known; as dying, and see we are alive; as
punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as
having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (2
Cor 6:8-10)
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing? As having
nothing, yet possessing everything? How is this
1

Various sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Corinth; Step-Stone Bible p. 1375;

NRSV p. 296; http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN092MAPS1.htm
2
ESV p.2219; Step-Stone Bible p. 1374

possible? How is Paul able to retain a positive attitude in

the face of tragedy and hardship?
Its natural for us to want God to bless our plans make it
smooth sailing for us all the time. Last Sunday Fr.
Agostino reminded us that every time we pray the Our
Father, we say, . . . thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. We assume that our desires and Gods will are
the same, but often that is not the case.
Todays passage from 2 Corinthians begins, As we work
together with him [God] . . . (2 Cor 6:1). Thus Paul
envisions the faithful as working with God. Because when
you work with someone, you have to put their needs
above your own.3 By giving priority to Gods will, Paul is
able to identify with the suffering Jesus, transfer his own
pain to the cross, and share in unfettered joy. Or, in the
words of the ESV study bible (p. 2219)4, Pauls suffering
embodies the cross of Christ, while his endurance with
thanksgiving manifests the resurrection power of the
Spirit. (2 Cor 12:7-10)
What do the strongman Goliath, hostile Corinthians, and a
severe windstorm have in common? They are all
dangerous. But as we learned from todays readings, no
danger is so great that it cannot be overcome by faith.
Our faith journey begins when we get in the boat with
Jesus. Jesus is with us whether we acknowledge him or
not. To access Jesus redemptive power, we have to give
him priority in our lives. But once we put Jesus first, once
we are with him, our boat will never capsize.
3

https://ronsreflections.wordpress.com/tag/2-cor-61-13/
The ESV is very conservative. I do not agree with its politics, but sometimes find their
analysis to be helpful.
4

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in
you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek
you. (Ps 9:9-10)
AMEN