REALLY!?

FRIDAY AFTER SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT 2015

Today is Mark 6:45—56: Jesus walks on water, and he heals many people. Bishop Wright today takes a different tack, he places himself in the role of one of the disciples. If you think about these poor guys, they are on a crazy rollercoaster ride, trying to figure out just who their Rabbi really is…not just who he says he is, but what that means because his notions are radically different.

If Jesus is the new king of Israel, then the disciples have a very specific image in their head of just what this new king will do—he will “kick out” the Roman occupiers and re-establish the great nation of Israel. But Jesus confuses them. He teaches with real authority—a new great king would do that. He does amazing acts of power—a great new king would have power, but maybe not as much as Jesus. He cares about people, real people—what a wonderful way for a new king to act. He tells themn that he is going to die and he is not putting up any real resistance—and there is the rub, this does not make sense.

So this new “on his way to be king” Rabbi says, “Get in the boat and I will meet you on the other side.” 

Now you don’t even have to be Thomas to have the following reaction, “Really, get in the boat, you are kidding right!?” Last time they got in a boat, Jesus slept through a storm. And when they got through the storm, they met a demon-possessed man on the other side. “Really, get in the boat, you have got to be kidding!?”

There is a “tag line” based on the story in Matthew where Jesus invites Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water. It goes something like, “If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat.” I have to think that some of the disciples do not even want to get into the boat.

Getting into the boat is doing what Jesus says to do. He tells them to. Getting into the boat to possibly repeat the same stormy night events that require you to simultaneously put all your hope on Jesus (who this time is not even in the boat with you) while you are rowing and straining against the storm. This act of getting into the boat requires faith and trust, even when you do not understand just how he plans on “pulling off this new king thing.”

I am kind of like these disciples. Jesus is Risen Lord. He has broken the power of death. His Kingdom, God’s Kingdom is being inaugurated. Further, I can teach and preach about how we are people who live in a world where this Kingdom of God has not reached its fullness. I can preach we are a people who live in the “now—and not yet” reality of God’s rule. I can preach and teach all that, but I also don’t quite know how he plans on “pulling off this new king thing.” How it all will come to fruition. I also have moments of “Really!?”

Really, this ISIS stuff. Really, all this poverty. Really, the stuff with my family, I mean after all Jesus I have left a lot to follow you…how many more of those sentences I can write. How about you? Can you write some of them?

The issue or situation is that I am often projecting my idea of God’s kingdom into some mental map of how I think this is all supposed to work. If I am honest with myself, the issue is also a little bit too much about me. I want it my way. I want Jesus to look at me and somehow acknowledge all I think I am sacrificing and make it easier for me. I do not want to get in a boat, a boat where I cannot see him, and end up having to row in a storm, and go to a place where there might be another maniac. But it’s Lent. It’s a season of sitting with your Bible. It’s a season of sitting in prayer. It’s a season that I sit and try a get real with our Lord…and then get in the boat.