Luther Seminary

A daily devotion brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary

Archives for June 19, 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009

Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)

Read Mark 4:35-41 on biblegateway.com

Verse 35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." Verse 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. Verse 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. Verse 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Verse 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. Verse 40He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" Verse 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Devotion

We read in verse 36 that the disciples took Jesus with them in their boat “just as he was.” What does that mean? Is Mark implying that Jesus was imperfect in some way? Perhaps Jesus was unprepared for a boat ride with the wrong clothes or without his fluorescent orange life jacket tied securely. In any case, the disciples did not bother themselves with Jesus, they simply got the boats on the water.

Later, when the storm came up, again they did not immediately bother with Jesus. Presumably, there was a moment before the panic set in when the conditions on the sea seemed manageable. The disciples waited until they thought their lives were in danger before bothering with Jesus.

At what point in our lives do we consider conditions right to bother with Jesus? Do we wait until our lives reach a certain intensity before we take them to Jesus? Today let’s try to remember that Jesus is not a small detail in any of our plans but is, in fact, the purpose and the life that makes them worth doing.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, sometimes I fail to keep you at the top of my priority list. Thank you for not being satisfied at being just a detail in my life. Today, Lord, I give you my plans, my boat, and my journey. Make them into something glorious to you. Amen.

Jill Bergman St. James Lutheran Church in Crystal, Minnesota