Authority’s Confidence

Mark 4:38

      Have you ever been in a really tough spot in life and wondered if anyone knew how close you were to drowning? Even those who are closest to you don’t seem to notice. You feel alone and forgotten even by family, by the world. You reach out but all you can grasp is air.

      Jesus is in the boat asleep in the back on a cushion. That is confidence. He is on a mission to get to the other side. He is exhausted from ministering to others. They have helped Him get on the boat and He has fallen asleep in the back, away from hustle and bustle of the crossing.

      Jesus had enough confidence in His disciples that He is able to sleep peacefully as they did their job. He is confident that He will be safe!

      What is almost funny is that the expert fishermen are afraid. Haven’t they learned yet that they are always safe if they are with Jesus! And they continue to express fear, despite Jesus multiple commands to not be afraid. When are they ever going to learn the lesson! They are afraid, again.

      What is really strange is that they think Jesus doesn’t care. This can be the reaction when you are in trouble and everyone else isn’t running to the rescue. We can interpret their inaction as uncaring. This is exactly how the disciples react. They think Jesus doesn’t care about them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus had confidence in them, more confidence than they had in themselves. And yet, they are afraid.

      Why are they afraid? They put their eyes on the circumstances rather than on Jesus. Jesus told them they were going to the other side. He didn’t say they were going to the bottom of the sea, or going to drown in the middle. He had expressed their destination and they were doubting His word in the middle of the storm.

      It can be easy to doubt in the middle of your storm. It can be easy to get your eyes of Jesus and onto the wind and waves. After all, Jesus’ disciples did, and they had Jesus right in their boat! Jesus was with them. He wasn’t on a suicide mission. He was asleep. How bad could it be?

      The hardest task in life is being able to rest in the middle of our storms, to express confidence in the presence of God when it seems as though our prayers aren’t being answered and we feel so alone and abandoned. That is faith in action. Jesus knew He was right where He was supposed to be, that He had something to do on the other side. He knew where He was going, so He didn’t get upset with a few bumps along the way.

The Twenty-Plus-Eight’s

Psalm 28, 58, 88, 118, 148

Have you ever tried to get someone’s attention in a crowd? You smile, you wave your hand, your arm shoots up, you speak, you shout, you jump up and down, side to side. And then you realize it isn’t the person you thought it was, and you shrink back into the crowd. The writer of Psalm 28 seems to be trying to get the LORD’s attention. If he doesn’t get His response, he feels like his life is over (v1). He is afraid he will get caught up in the LORD’s judgment (v3), caught in the crowd and swept away. He wants the wicked to be judged and he feels his fate will be different. As a result, worship springs forth (v6). Then he extends that trust on behalf of all of Israel (vv8-9).

If we were to make a music video of Psalm 58, I can imagine that the first scene would involve someone pointing a finger right into the chest of the other, forcefully accusing him. The writer has only harsh words to describe these rulers. Listen to the images he uses and picture how you would construct the music video to illustrate his message of judgment. Snakes, charmer, teeth, fangs, vanishing water, slug. You get the picture. And that is the point of this language. It engages the mind in multiple ways. It is more than words, it captures the imagination. Setting our imagination listen to the Scriptures can open up the meaning to our modern ears. So listen with your imagination engaged.

Loneliness can be one of the most difficult emotions to face long term. We were designed to be in relationship with God and with other humans. Isolation can be torture. Psalm 88 expresses the pain of being overwhelmed with troubles (v3) and isolated from your support network (v8). This difficulty is why we are called on to take care of orphans and widows, and visit those in prison. He is desperate for the LORD’s answer (vv9 & 13-14). He hasn’t received an answer. Whatever has afflicted him has been chronic (v15) and seemingly permanently isolating (v18). He is desperate and alone. Not a good place.

Psalm 118 is an interactional psalm, one where different groups respond to each other by repeating certain phrases. Three very obvious responses are “His love endures forever” (vv2-4), “but in the name of the LORD I cut them down” (vv10-12) and “the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things (vv15-16). This is probably a very energetic interaction. Verse 15 speaks of shouts resounding. I can’t imagine mumbling the response. There are responses that are appropriate in worship, and some of them are loud and energetic. Don’t be afraid of cheers in church.

Psalm 148 calls on various groups to enter into worship. The writer starts with the universe (vv1-4), inviting the stars to declare praise to Him. Then he calls on all the creatures of the earth to do the same (vv7-12). Following each of these invitations he gives the reason for their praise: He created them and established them forever. We are to join in this chorus of praise. We are a people close to His heart (v14).