Jesus is the One Who surprises you

Sometimes things in our life change in almost unpredictable way. Let us pick up on the story where we were left last time. Last time we talked about Jesus calming the storm. This is the end of Mark 4. Jesus is in the boat with His disciples. You know, sometimes I am really wondering if Jesus actually knew where He was going with His disciples. Mark 5 continues the story. Jesus with the group arrived at the country of Gadarenes. Their purpose was to find a solitary place where they could be alone. And the southeastern shores of the Sea of Galilee with towering salted cliffs stretched down to the lace with many honeycombed caves seemed to be the best place to be away from crowds. But at this time it was not exactly so.

Text: Mark 5: 1-20

The place was famous for it’s solitarily because of a demon-possessed man who for many years prevented travelers from passing along the road. The text tells us that he harassed them and frightened them. Each time the demoniac was put in chains, however he broke the bonds. He was one of the most feared men of the region. Just picture the situation in your mind. Jesus and disciples get to the shore on their boat beaten up by the night’s storm very, very tired. When they just step on the land they see a naked man running at them. At the click of their mind they could have decided to get back in the boat but the man is running quickly. Such a situation would do well away with the fatigue of the night. The naked man seems to know who Jesus is. Disciples don’t. The man does. ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’ Jesus helps the man and drives away the unclean spirit. Disciples stay surprised with their mouths wide open.

Having the power over unclean spirit Jesus frees the man. Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man and go into the pigs. The demons entered the swine which ran down the steep cliff and into the sea. Some people came from the village to see what happened and found the man in a healthy condition and dressed.  Situation makes everyone marvel and affects people in a different way which is not the way they expected. At their best it makes them marvel.

Sometimes, when we walk with Jesus our own life can take an unusual turn. Therefore do not be surprised too much when something happens that you did not plan beforehand. Be prepared that your normal pace of life will have to be adjusted. How would you react to the marveling surprises of Jesus? What Jesus would be for you at that minute?

The people from the region of Gadara had two choices of a response to Jesus’ miracle: to be excited that Jesus healed the man; or to be deeply disturbed that Jesus destroyed their main source of income.

The people chose to look at what they had lost, not what Jesus had given them. They did not see the valuable healing of a human being, but the loss of some pigs. They focused on the negative and not the positive. They could not understand that God who freed the demon-possessed man could have provided all their needs in a new surprising way. The way which they would not   expected.

Jesus also changed the normal pace of life for the man who is now freed. The healed man wanted to travel with Jesus, but Jesus had other plans for him. Jesus said, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you’. So the healed man departed. He meets His Lord when his own life went out of its usual routine. He was blessed to receive a new change in his life when it was offered to him. Now he obeys His Lord and goes throughout Decapolis proclaiming what Jesus had done to him.

In every situation in our lives we have opportunity to look at the negative or the positive. How shall we respond?

Jesus is the One Who cares

           You and I do live during interesting time. A lot of things are available today at a mouse click or through the phone call. We can have an easy excess to information. We can find out information about almost any person in the world simply by ‘Googling’ the question “who is who?”

            It seems like Mark is writing his gospel account in such a manner that often while reading it you are prone to get on the net and Google ‘Who is Jesus?’ Mark is mysterious about Jesus in his gospel narrative. ‘Who is this man Jesus?’ is the question the reader puzzles while reading accounts in the gospel of Mark? This is the question which puzzles the reader. This is the question which surprised disciples. This is the question which is intriguing for you and me.

Our text: Mark 4:35-41

            Here we have disciples traveling with Jesus by a boat. They have a destination where they need to be. They are experienced sailors. They need to get on the other side of the lake. Jesus’ disciples are very tuff men. They grew up near the lake and some of them were professional fishermen. So they knew how it is to sail a boat. But at this day they were tired. Even more, they were probably emotionally drained from all the people they had to deal with. They were so tired that even their teacher fell asleep in the stern. And at this moment a disaster occurs, natural calamity finds the group. At first they do not even notice that Jesus fell asleep. They try to do their best to save a boat. But it was above their strength. They boat is sinking. They are in despair. They do not know what to do … they understand that their life is in danger… and finally, … finally they turn on to Jesus, - ‘Don’t you care, - teacher! We are dying!’ – They cry out on top of their voice and whisper in despair – ‘you are sleeping…’

            Jesus stands up orders the calamity to calm down and says – ‘Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have faith? Don’t you know who are you traveling with?’ And what about disciples? Do they know who Jesus is? They are left in wonder and awe, puzzled and bewildered – ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’  

            Life has never been an easy travel for us human beings. Through history humankind faced wars, famines, natural disasters, contamination, diseases. Individuals experience trouble today as well. Troubles are many in this world. Prominent Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said, that happy families are all the same but unhappy families are unhappy each in its own way. More than that trouble often meets us when we do not expect it. Who would expect the death of child during delivery? What parent would wish an unwanted pregnancy of their daughter? Who is planning a divorce on the wedding day? Who does not want to return home when leaving for work? As trouble comes we are trying to handle it by ourselves. But often trouble just doesn’t come alone. She brings company with her.  (I may need to think about example here).

What should we do when our smooth pace of life becomes bumpy? Shall we try to handle it ourselves by our own strength? Will we pretend that our road is still smooth? Or boast that we have great shock absorbers?

Or will we cry out with the disciples in the midst of despair   – ‘Lord, don’t you care?’

It all depends how we answer the question of the story in a boat – ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’

Who is He for you? The Lord, creator of the universe, God Who rules over everything as He is revealed in the Bible? The One who created you. The One who knows you. If so, He cares. He cares for you and He cares for your life.  Have faith. He will take care during the time of trouble for He is in the boat with you in you travel.

          You can invite Jesus to travel with you today, as disciples did it that day ‘they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.’ (Mk.4:36)