Enough

Friday, February 23rd - Mark 6:30-56

For some reason, Mark's account of these events seems somewhat unfamiliar to me. Some of his phrases surprise me, by the details he reports and others I expect to read but don't actually find here. I've been trying to learn a little bit about Hebrew culture lately, and one thing I've learned is that the images and stories are important. So, along with trying to understand the words, I'm also trying to hear the story - not only as a collection of little details, but as a whole picture. As I read this section from Mark, amid all the things I feel like I need to research more, an image jumped out at me. I'll admit I'm not confident that what I think it means is entirely consistent with the context here in Mark, but I'll share it, so you can wrestle with me (or straighten me out).

vss. 50b-51a "But Jesus spoke to them at once. 'Don't be afraid,' he said. ' Take courage! I am here! Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped."

Often, when I read the accounts of Jesus calming storms for the disciples, I get caught up in the miracles. I wonder when I'll witness something like the feeding of 5,000 men and their families, or the calming of the storms, or Jesus walking right toward me on the water. But it strikes me that Jesus' intent is not to calm the storm but to offer the disciples (and us) a peace that transcends understanding. Jesus' words are, "Take courage! I am here!" And then he climbed into the boat, and the waves calmed down.

The focus of the story seems to be Jesus' sufficiency. He just fed a huge crowd with an amount of food that could have been given to me and still left me hungry. Although he started with little, he finished with 12 extra baskets - enough for the tribes of Israel or enough for each of the disciples. Jesus can accomplish what they need their Messiah to do. Then it appears that Jesus calmed the storm to demonstrate that he has the power to calm the storm in our hearts and bring us peace with God. When we're close to Jesus, he brings peace. Notice that Jesus doesn't even address the wind or waves here; he only addresses the disciples, inviting them to have courage and to rest in his presence.

We often focus on the miracles and wonder, "When has something like that happened near/for me?" But we're not supposed to focus on the miraculous circumstances any more than we're supposed to obsess over the difficult circumstances. We're supposed to focus on Jesus. He is more than enough! Take courage! Whatever the circumstances, Jesus is enough for you and for me. He can bridge the gap between God and us!