Mark 8: 1-10; Mark 4: 35-41
Part of discipleship is trusting the teacher. Trusting implies at times dependence. Dependence often reminds us of childhood. Childhood is a mixed memory—we remember carefree days when nothing seemed demanded, but we also remember frustrated times when what we wanted to do was denied. Jesus’ disciples were not children; they had lives of work and family before they joined his band. We too are not children; we base most of our living on what seems sane, rational, decision-making. We depend on ourselves and expect others to reciprocate. We help each other, but our relationships are not the carefree, total dependence of childhood.
In today’s passages the disciples questions appear to question the meaning of trusting the Rabbi they followed. In the first story Jesus had spent three days teaching a great crowd at some great distance from their homes. Now they were hungry. And Jesus seemed to expect his disciples to feed them. The disciples, one might think incredulous, ask, “How can we feed these people with bread here in the desert?” In the second story the disciples and Jesus have taken a boat across the lake in the evening. Jesus fell asleep. A storm arose and swamped the boat and the disciples wake the master with the question, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
What questions of this sort do we ask Jesus? What is our tone, our emotion? Do we expect Jesus to solve seemingly insoluble problems? What is our level of trust, of dependence?
In both cases Jesus answers with a miracle. He takes what little bread they have, seven loaves, and feeds the multitude until they are filled. He rebukes the storm and calm returns. He expects the disciples to have faith.
How would you describe that faith today? How do you see it at work today?
Lord Jesus, help us to learn appropriate dependence. Help us learn to have the trust that you wish. Give us your grace so that our faith can grow enabling us to live in your kingdom. Amen.
Blessings, Caroline
Part of discipleship is trusting the teacher. Trusting implies at times dependence. Dependence often reminds us of childhood. Childhood is a mixed memory—we remember carefree days when nothing seemed demanded, but we also remember frustrated times when what we wanted to do was denied. Jesus’ disciples were not children; they had lives of work and family before they joined his band. We too are not children; we base most of our living on what seems sane, rational, decision-making. We depend on ourselves and expect others to reciprocate. We help each other, but our relationships are not the carefree, total dependence of childhood.
In today’s passages the disciples questions appear to question the meaning of trusting the Rabbi they followed. In the first story Jesus had spent three days teaching a great crowd at some great distance from their homes. Now they were hungry. And Jesus seemed to expect his disciples to feed them. The disciples, one might think incredulous, ask, “How can we feed these people with bread here in the desert?” In the second story the disciples and Jesus have taken a boat across the lake in the evening. Jesus fell asleep. A storm arose and swamped the boat and the disciples wake the master with the question, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
What questions of this sort do we ask Jesus? What is our tone, our emotion? Do we expect Jesus to solve seemingly insoluble problems? What is our level of trust, of dependence?
In both cases Jesus answers with a miracle. He takes what little bread they have, seven loaves, and feeds the multitude until they are filled. He rebukes the storm and calm returns. He expects the disciples to have faith.
How would you describe that faith today? How do you see it at work today?
Lord Jesus, help us to learn appropriate dependence. Help us learn to have the trust that you wish. Give us your grace so that our faith can grow enabling us to live in your kingdom. Amen.
Blessings, Caroline
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