Misericordias Domini Friday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Friday 
Exodus 39:32-40:16     Luke 8:22-39

With tomorrow being Opening Day of fishing Wisconsin, my memory wandered a bit to a past trip with a friend in his boat fishing. We were out in the middle of the lake, leaned back with feet up on the gunwale relaxing, soaking up the sun. Fishing was slow, you’re a bit relaxed. I finally got a bite, put my feet down and they splash as water comes up over my shoe-tops and fills them.

The fish on the end of my pole took a secondary priority as the 6 inches of water in the bottom of the boat was a bit of a shock and quickly got my attention. It did not scare me, but I was a bit concerned, we were in the middle of the lake after all.

I shouted at Steve, in the same leaned back position, “Hey, where’d all the water come from?” He looked down and immediately scrambled to the back of the boat.  I grabbed the empty coffee can and proceeded to bail water as Steve began the frantic search for the plug. A couple minutes later, the plug securely screwed in, we were  able to laugh about the whole mis-adventure.

Today’s text from Luke finds the disciples and Jesus in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. A furious squall came up and the waves were washing over the boat and it was taking on water and Jesus slept. This is a bit different than the situation I was in. Without a 25 horse Mercury on the back of the boat, they were at the mercy of the wind and waves, and when a storm comes up on this body of water, it happens quickly and can be very violent.

 I do not know if these hardened fishermen were, but I am sure they were very concerned, and this problem needed to be dealt with immediately. So, they came to Jesus, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Do they expect the miraculous out of Jesus, that He would calm the storm? Their comments later seem to show that is the wrong conclusion, for they asked each other, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

Were the men saying, “Master, the boat is filling up with water!” They know the sea, they know the danger of this storm. It needs to be “all hands on deck.” Were they scared of dying, or were they saying, “Hey Teacher, could You give us a hand and help bail water too.”

Instead, Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

Now the disciples were fearful.  Now they questioned each other, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” They know that there is only One who can command the creation to do His will.

As Jesus speaks a rebuke of this storm, these men question who He is. They are fearful because only one answer is logical. “This man is God!” “Here in this boat, in the flesh of man, is He who made the wind and the waves.” “The One who has just spoken is He who is the Word which spoke everything into existence.”

This is a different fearfulness than their concern a few moments earlier, the danger of being swamped is past. They are fearful, they had great fear, the feeling of overpowering awe. They know they are face to face with Omnipotent God and they are overwhelmed by the display of His might. They now look upon Him with majesty and awe.

“Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Who is this? Even the most powerful forces of creation obey Him. This is a rhetorical question, they are not expecting an answer, they know it. God! This is God incarnate.

Man, when face to face with God Almighty, realizes his sinfulness. When face to face with Him who created all and with a word calms storms – or could end life, man comprehends his own frailty. Man’s unworthiness to stand in the presence of God can cause fearfulness.

Jesus speaks to them, “Where is your faith?” In Mark’s Gospel, we read that the comment was a bit longer, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”

Jesus had calmed the storm and asks the question. He knows their fear. Is He speaking of their fear of the storm? No! Jesus sees their hearts and minds before they even speak to one another. He knows their fear of Him!

Jesus is saying so much more. He asks, “Where is your faith?” He is saying, “You have heard me preach. You have seen me perform miracles. You know I come to bring peace with the Father, the forgiveness of sins. Yet you still fear my presence?” “I have not come to bring wrath and retribution upon sin.  I have not come to exact the Father’s vengeance for your sinfulness.”

“I come to calm the waves and quiet the wind, I come to bring peace to all creation, for all creation awaits the removal of sin.  I come to restore that which is fallen - all creation.”

Too easily, the disciples got caught up in the worldly. Too easily, you and I get caught up in the worldly and see not the marvelous works of God.

The wind and the waves, this present pandemic, are signs of a fallen world, a world corrupted by sin, a world wrapped in the old creation fallen because of Adam. Creation awaits the revealing of the sons of men and the last day when all things shall be made new.

Calming the storm, Christ shows Himself as Lord over a fallen world. Here is the one who swallows up the consequences sin in the created world with but a Word of rebuke. Who is this, that even creation obeys Him? This is the Christ! This is He who took on human flesh and stepped into His own creation to redeem it and free it from the ravages of sin. “Quiet!  Be still!” This is He whom all creation obeys.

You are His new creation. In the waters of baptism, you were reborn of water and the Word. You were made a new creation, for in that miracle, the tumult of your sinfulness was quieted and stilled in the very blood of Christ. 

Christ exhibits His power over creation as He continually recreating you in Himself in the very Word He speaks to you each and every time you hear His Word.  By Paul’s pen we know that One died for all. In that One, all have died. It is for this reason that you no longer live for yourself, but for Him who died for you. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) In Him you are a new creation.

Who is this, creation obeys Him? The new creation, those who are in Christ Jesus, cannot help but obey, the Creator speaks and your sins are forgiven – you are re-created in Him. Why are you fearful in the world? Where is your faith? This Christ in our text is He who created you. This Christ in our text is He who redeemed you. Who is this? This is the one who made you a new creation for all eternity in His Name. The old has gone, the new has come!  The new will never pass away.

Let us pray:           Lord God heavenly Father, at Your Word you brought all into existence, by Your Word you make me a new creation in Christ, grant me the faith and strength to live in that work and life in which You have made me. Amen.