Genesis 8,1-12. 4. Sunday after Epiphany

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The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Genesis 8,1-12 1114

4. Sonntag nach Epiphanias  017

Purification of Mary and the Presentation of our Lord 

2. Februar 2014 

1. O Almighty and Everlasting God, who does govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of Your holy and redeemed people, and in our time grant us Your peace (Book of Common Prayer 164), for we live in a world that is cursed by You on account of Adam’s sin, and although he was the first human being to sin, we, too, are born with the Old Adam’s original sin in our bodies and souls, so that we also are sinful by nature through and through, and therefore we indeed bear the burden of this world’s thorns and thistles. In the winter, the cursed sky pounds us with heavy snowfalls, freezing temperatures, and howling winds, and if it were not for Your Fatherly Providence, we would soon perish just as the disciples feared would happen to them upon the Sea of Galilee. Be merciful to us, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your beloved Son Jesus Christ, whose voice the storms and snowfalls of this earth heed and obey, and grant us relief from our sufferings that we endure through the toils and tribulations of this accursed creation, so that we, and creation itself, may be granted a gracious reprieve and praise You as our Creator and Provider in all things.  Amen. 

2. »But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.«  

3. The Holy Scriptures tell us that Yahweh is the God who created all things and who has authority over all creation, including the wind and the waves. In Genesis 8, we hear after The Flood had deluged the world: »Now God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters continually receded from the earth.« (Genesis 8,1-3). The Psalmist later proclaims: »Yahweh rebuked the Reed Sea, and it became dry, and He led Israel through the deep as through a desert« (Psalm 106,9). And again: »Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and He brought them to their desired haven« (Psalm 107,28-30). 

4. In the Scriptures I quoted, the wind and waves are threatening God’s chosen people, and He thus acts to save them from that threat. In Genesis, the Flood waters had covered the earth for five months, and God dried up the water so the ark can ground itself on dry land and Noah and his family disembark to become stewards over the world. In the Psalms, the Psalmist is recounting the Exodus where the sea blocked Israel’s escape from Pharaoh, and God parts the waters so they can safely escape on dry ground. In our Gospel Lection, Jesus has been preaching, teaching and healing in his hometown province of Galilee. Most of His ministry is centered in and around Galilee, particularly along the seashore of the Sea of Galilee. When He enters the boat and crosses over to the other side, He is leaving Jewish territory and entering Gentile territory with its ten Gentile towns scattered among Jewish settlements. While in transit, a storm arises on the Sea of Galilee that threatens to sink the boat upon which Jesus and His disciples are traveling. 

5. In the first four chapters of the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus has been quite busy in Galilee. He has preached in numerous towns, called many of His disciples and done several miracles. Such demonstrations of His Divine power included: exorcizing an unclean spirit (Mark 1,21-28), healing many who were sick or oppressed with demons (1,30.32), cleansed a leper (1,40-45), healed and forgiven a paralyzed man (2,1-12) and healed a man with a withered hand (3,1-6). Each of these showed His Divine power and authority, particularly when He forgave the paralyzed man of his sins and then healed his paralysis as proof of His authority to forgive sin (2,10-12). Calming the wind and the waves is a further manifestation of His Divine authority and power. 

6. His disciples witnessed these miracles and were profoundly challenged by them. They were amazed that Jesus could not only heal a paralytic, but also forgive his sins by His very own authority (2,12). Only God may forgive sin by His very own authority. When they had crossed over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were greatly afraid because even the forces of nature obey Jesus will and word (4,41). 

7. In Mark’s Gospel fear relative to Jesus is a sign of Divine activity, especially Divine saving activity (Voelz 337). The disciples are confused by the ambiguous picture presented by Jesus, who sleeps through a storm, seems unconcerned by their plight, then exerts control over nature with a mere word, even as does Yahweh (Voelz 337). This is also a challenge that we face: How often does Jesus seem unconcerned about our trial or tribulation, seemingly sleeping peacefully in heaven when we are fervently praying to Him to rescue us? Such a concern is the result of our doubting, sinful nature. In the first four chapters of the Gospel according to Mark, the evangelist points out that Jesus is indeed concerned about us and our tribulations. Jesus came to this earth to save fallen men and women, and His calming of the storm is yet another manifestation of His saving activity. 

8. The Gospel according to Mark (like the other three Gospels) presents a Divine Jesus who is fully God and fully man in one person. The Gospel challenges the conventional wisdom of who Jesus is. Some argue that Jesus is merely a moral teacher and preacher. Mark tells us that Jesus did indeed teach and preach, and such teaching involved some moral codes of conduct. But if you only look to Jesus as a great teacher and philosopher (which is the favorite approach in 21. century America), then you do not have the complete Jesus. Others might emphasize the miracles and healings of Jesus, such as is common among many televangelists on TV. Again, Jesus did miracles and healed people; Mark records a number of these signs. But if you only look to Jesus as a great physician who exists only to be at your prayerful beck and call to intervene in every minuté aspect of your life, then you do not have the Jesus of the Gospels. Furthermore, the Gospels tell us that Jesus is the Son of God who forgives sins. Many people are not comfortable with this sort of Jesus. People will balk at such discussion of Jesus because now you are moving from the realm of a comfortable Jesus who does not make demands upon me to the realm of a challenging Jesus who expands our religious horizons. If Jesus is God, and if He forgives sins, then that calls for a decision: do I accept and follow this Jesus or do I not? 

9. This is where the disciples are at early in Jesus’ ministry in Mark 4. The disciples know that humans cannot control the waves of the sea, but they see that Jesus can, and it confuses and frightens them (Voelz 338). No doubt they were particularly confused by Jesus’ mastery of the sea, not only because such control is the domain of Yahweh, but also and especially because human attempts to control the sea were seen as the ultimate hubris, a blasphemous statement of exaggerated self-worth that challenged deity itself (Voelz 337). 

10. Thus the disciples ask the question: „Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?“ (Mark 4,41). The answer is dawning upon them that Jesus is far more than a teacher and a prophet, for the miracles He perform exude a Divine quality to them that far surpasses the miraculous deeds Yahweh did through His prophets of old. This man can make the paralyzed walk, commands the forces of nature and even forgives people their sin all by His own authority. Only God can do such things by His own authority and word. If Jesus can do all this, then what does this mean for death, Hades and the devil? Jesus must surely have command and control over those forces too. The Gospel according to Mark records miracles and instances where Jesus does exhibit command over death, Hades and even the devil himself. 

11. All these teachings and signs point us to confess that Jesus is God. Yet St. Mark withholds that confession till the end of his Gospel. After Jesus had been crucified, gave up His spirit and died, then the confession is made by the Roman centurion who stood there: »Truly this man was the Son of God« (Mark 15,39). Yes, there on the cross we see God Himself saving His fallen creation by delivering men and women from the hands of death and hell. Jesus’ death and resurrection proclaims that His authority over the forces of nature will be revealed in His authority over all creation. On the last day Jesus will restore creation to its pristine perfection. Jesus’ own death and resurrection is the first fruits of the great heavenly harvest when all Christians will be raised up to new life to enjoy the heavenly reign. Until that day, there will be storms on this earth that threaten our lives and livelihood. Not every storm will be miraculously calmed. We’ve suffered the cold and snow of Polar Vortex I and II; there may yet be more polar vortexes before we welcome the warmer days of spring. Even Christians must endure the tribulations in their lives. Such tribulations may be a natural disaster, an illness or some other horrible calamity. Such disasters will be with us, as the effect of this cursed creation, until Jesus Christ Himself returns on the last day to restore creation in accordance with His Divine will. On that day, neither storms nor death will keep us apart from Christ’s presence, for He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Until that day arrives, we have the assurance of Jesus’ protection. The Church is not a refuge that promises the uncertainties and insecurities of this world will never afflict us (Garland 200). The Church does proclaim Christ Jesus our Savior. Through such preaching, we learn to trust in a Savior who does not deliver us from storms but who delivers us through the storms (Garland 200). The ark did not spare Noah and his family from the worldwide Flood, but the ark delivered them through the destruction wrought from the wind and the waves. Jesus has quieted the violent storm, and we have no reason to fear anything from nature or the supernatural, from life or death (Garland 200). The ark came to rest on Mount Ararat where Noah and his family disembarked to tame creation once again as Yahweh’s stewards. On the last day the Church will come to rest on God’s holy, heavenly mountain to enjoy the fruit of a restored creation as the redeemed of Yahweh.  Amen. 

12. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, whose deeds are awesome toward the children of men, send us the Holy Spirit so that we see what good things our Heavenly Father has done for us in You, His only and beloved Son, creation’s Lord, and our Victor over death and the grave.  Amen.  

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.  

Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

Garland, David E. Mark, The NIV Application Commentary. Copyright © 1996 David E. Garland.

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Voelz, James W. Mark 1:1-8:26. Copyright © 2013 Concordia Publishing House.