Monday, March 1, 2010

Read Mark 4:30-41

The period of Lent directs us to self-reflection and penitence with an eye to preparing us for what we know lies ahead for our Lord. The two subheadings of this reading in Mark are," The Parable of the Mustard Seed" and "Jesus Calming the Storm." It helps me to imagine myself among the disciples following Jesus, listening to the way he speaks to the crowds in parables... and being in the boat on the Sea of Galilee with the wind whipping and Jesus asleep in the hold. My sense in these two passages is that Jesus is a little frustrated with his disciples. He has to explain things in detail to them when he thinks surely they should understand what the parables really mean. He is expecting and hoping that the onlookers will "get it" without a blow by blow description of the parables - yet he patiently explains their meaning to his inner circle. And when they wake him in the boat and berate him for not caring about their safety... Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea, but there is an edge and frustration when he says to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" There are a number of times in reading Mark that I think Jesus has cause to despair that his chosen disciples will ever really "get it." Will they, will we ever really see what he wants of us and more... will we ever step up and do it? I am so grateful that Jesus doesn't give up on his disciples... even if they fail to "get it," even if they sometimes still have no faith.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the example of steadfast love and patience we have in Jesus.

Amen

Jan Miles