When my husband and I were first married, we lived in Oceanview, Virginia. He was serving his last tour of duty as a Vietnam era Marine. We lived just a few blocks from Chesapeake Bay. While there was no public beach close to us, there was an area at the end of a street where people could swim.
The water there got deep quickly, but, generally, was always safe because it was on the bay. I remember especially enjoying swimming in gentle rain (no lightening). One day I was enjoying such a swim when the winds picked up. I was pretty close to shore, and, for a bit, it was fun to be in the choppy waters. But then, suddenly, the wind grew stronger, and I was afraid. I came to shore to watch the power of the water and wind.
That memory came to me as I prayed from today’s readings. The first reading, the psalm, and the Gospel are about tempests at sea. I suspect many of you have been in choppy waters and have stories of your own about the emotions and possible dangers they create.
Job 38:1, 8-11
Many evils befell the good man, Job. He lost his wealth, health, and family. He was sorely disturbed—acutely depressed, we might say. Three friends come to visit him, to get him to repent of whatever wrong he had done and beg the Lord’s forgiveness. Job cannot think of what wrong he might have done. So, the three friends lecture and admonish Job for 34 chapters! Finally, in Chapter 38 here, the Lord speaks to Job. Today’s verses are among the first ones God speaks. God’s first words were straight to the point, “Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance?” (Job 38:2) God then lectures and admonishes Job for 4 chapters. His admonishments describe the power of nature and the power of Behemoth, a sea monster who represents evil in the world. They include the descriptions of the sea and its limits we read today:
The Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said:
Who shut within doors the sea,
when it burst forth from the womb;
when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
When I set limits for it
and fastened the bar of its door,
and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stilled!
It is important to realize what happens after God speaks: Job says, “I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore, I disown what I have said and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6) Job is changed by his experience of God.
Then God admonishes Job’s friends and good things are given again to Job for the rest of his long life.
Mark 4:35-41
This story happens at the end of the day of last Sunday’s reading. Those earlier verses of Mark described Jesus as sitting in a boat by the shore teaching the people about the Kingdom of God through three parables about sowing seed. They include the two we had last week: the farmer not understanding how the seed grows (Mark 4:26-29) and the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32). The third parable recorded that day is a focus of readings at other times—the parable of the seed that fell on the path, rocky ground, weeds, and good ground. (Mark 4:1-20)
Now Jesus is ready to get away from the crowds. He tells the disciples to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. There is an interesting phrase here, “They took him, just as he was.” Commentators agree that this is a reference to the fact that Jesus was exhausted. In fact, we see as the story continues, Jesus was so tired that being on a boat bobbing in the waves, with wind squalls and water pouring into it, did not wake him up. He must have been tired!
The disciples wake him up, he quiets the storm, and admonishes the disciples—giving the disciples the same message God gave Job.
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Along with these sea stories we have a brief reading from 2 Corinthians. This part of 2 Corinthians tells the Christians at Corinth that they are to walk by faith, not by sight. They are to trust God AND spread the Good News of God’s Love through Christ. As is common of the Epistle selection, this reading tells us how to apply the other two: we are new creations from our baptism; we are called to be like Christ in our trust of the father and like Job in our humility before God.
Thoughts and Applications
Thoughts and applications take two directions. Here is the first one:
What are the spiritual and emotional waves that overwhelm you these days in the boat of life? Polarities in politics and church? Personal health or family relationship issues? Inflation and having enough money? Individualized moral choices, rather than agreed upon standards? Wars? Self-concern rather than consideration of the common good? Being an immigrant? Gender identity? No good solutions for tweens too old for ordinary day camps or baby-sitters, but not old enough to work or be productive at home when left without supervision? The list worries goes on….
Is God saying, “I’ve got this, relax,” or “Pray! You’re in danger.”? Or “Yes, there is always a Behemoth, but he is created, not creator. Yes, there are evils from the natural world—from extreme heat to great storms, but they are created, not creator.”
If I am a new creation of God, how, then, do I handle the waves and worries around me?
The second application is similar, but more focused on fears when God seems to be asleep.
Most everyone I know, including myself, keeps a wrinkled forehead these days. We worry. We feel the waves or watch the tossing boat, and fear grips us. “God, are you there? God, do you care? God, if you CAN SEE what’s going on, why don’t you do something about it?”
Or maybe our hearts go so far as, “Well, Lord, this seems pretty bad to me. Maybe, since you don’t do anything to show your power and fix what is wrong—maybe it is not wrong to you. Maybe I should just join the world around me to seek happiness in ways I thought you were against.
To this line of thought, the readings say to me: “Job, disciples, you are missing the point. All these waves of troubles—they are part of life. They are part of creation that includes ecologies and food chains. Suffering is part of life.
But, for you, the Christian, it is NOT what determines quality or focus of life. Take heed. Listen to My Word with its guidance. Pray—complain loud and strong when needed. The Kingdom of God is among us—in the storm, in the boat, in our fear. The Kingdom of God emerges in the middle of all this when Christians recognize we are NEW CREATIONS—not just created by God, but CREATED NEW by virtue of Baptism and Faith to be God’s witnesses in the waves and worries.
Prayer:
Lead me, guide me, Lord.
A song you might like to guide your personal reflection:
