I remember when Denise and I got married. We went to a beautiful place in Brazil called Porto Seguro. One of the many things to do in Porto Seguro is to take a boat called “Escuna” to a island called Trancoso. So, Denise and I took the escuna to have lunch in Trancoso. On our way to Trancoso, everything was beautiful and nice. The water was really calm and nice. It was awesome! When we arrived in Trancoso, it was paradise. They prepared a special lunch on the beach that included fish, tropical fruits, etc. Everything was awesome until the time for us to go back to Porto Seguro. It was almost evening, the same nice waters became huge waves that looked like a Tsunami ready to swallows us all. The “escuna” once nicely cruising in the morning, now, was going all the way up and all the way down. Denise who already had some fear of boats became a mess. She threw up all the way from Trancoso to Porto Seguro. Her fear of boats and water that was bad now got worse. She became terrified and still is even to this day. Me? Well, I usually don’t have a lot of problems with boats and water but that day, my friends,…Well, that day fear took me over and I screamed like a little girl…

Fear! Fear is a feeling that takes over our body, mind, and soul. Fear causes us to get stuck, be paralyzed, and to be anxious. Fear causes us to panic and be terrified…

The story from Mark 4: 35 – 41 is another aspect in life that perhaps prevents us from experiencing this unexplainable and, if I may say so, irrational phenomenon called miracle. Actually, Mark 4: 35 – 41 brings to our attention some interesting aspects of both fear and miracles.

The story in Mark 4: 35 – 41 starts with Jesus inviting the disciples saying, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake” (v. 35).  Actually, if you read the verses prior to verse 35, you will notice that Jesus had just finished teaching the people and his disciples through parables (mustard seed). Perhaps, it was one of those long days in ministry in which he spent time healing and teaching people.  Evening came and Jesus with no apparent good reason invited his disciples to a quite risky adventure. Perhaps, Jesus was tired after that long day and he really wanted to get to the other side of the lake as soon as possible.

Some historians say that the Lake of Galilee was subject to storms caused by sudden inrushes of wind which began and abruptly ended. That was true especially at that time of the evening. Still, the idea of crossing the lake in the middle of the night sounded like a stupid idea…

When it comes to God revealing Himself in a way that blows our mind away, sometimes it is risky. More importantly, as mind blowing as the miracle (extraordinary) was going to be, if they knew the storm they had to go through, they would probably have said, “Thanks, but no thanks.”  I think the same thing happens to us. Sometimes God is about to completely blow our minds away. But he also knows that the storm ahead of us is severe. So, he invites us to come with Him without necessarily giving us the full picture. Otherwise, we would say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Fear! Sure enough, the disciples’ worst fears came true. The storm came, the waves started breaking over, and the boat quickly filled with water…

It is one thing for us to maintain our cool when the storm is raging but our boat is not being filled with water. It is one thing when the storm is raging but we somehow feel protected in the midst of the storm. It is a completely different  scenario (response) when our boat begins to sink. No matter how knowledgeable and brave we think we are, when our boat begins to sink, we fear (freak out).

The disciples wanted Jesus to fear (freak out) with them when they asked, “…don’t you care that we are sinking?” (v.38).

Specialists say that fear quite often becomes anxiety. When someone is anxious, he/she creates a wave of anxiety expecting that others will continue to transfer that wave of anxiety to someone else. Perhaps, that was the case of the disciples in relation to Jesus. The fact that Jesus was asleep when the storm was happening was almost insulting to them. It was almost insulting to them that Jesus seemed to be in control while the storm was happening.

Sometimes I feel that we act the same way in relation to God.  I mean, when the storms in our life break and our boat seems to quickly be filled with water, we fear and become anxious. It is almost insulting to us that God seems to be so much in control of the situation while the storm is happening. Truly, sometimes I feel that we want God to freak out like we do.

There disciples were stuck. They couldn’t get out of their panic mode. Have you been in a panic mode? When we live in a panic mode, we live under oppression. It feels like the waves of the storm are ready to swallow us. When we find ourselves in a panic mode, it feels as if there is no way out. So much so that not even God can change that situation.

Jesus’ response to the disciples fear (oppressive situation) is He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be Still!” (v. 39). Furthermore, the story says that as Jesus rebuked, the wind dropped, and there was great calm, the disciples were terrified asking each other, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him” (v. 41).

The disciples were walking and spending time with Jesus. They had seen what Jesus (God Emmanuel) had done. Yet, when the storm broke and their boat quickly filled with water, they gave in to fear. Fear took control of their lives. Worst of all, fear prevented them from seeing that God was in their boat.

When God is in the boat, the storm may come, the waves may break over, and we might even feel that we are sinking. Yet, it is also true when God is in the boat we should expect the extraordinary to break through the ordinary because He is in charge of the boat, wind, storm, and waves of our lives.

Perhaps fear has taken over and  we might feel that our boat is sinking. Perhaps fear has taken over and we can’t see anything but the storm. We might be in panic mode and feel oppressed by the storm. I must say that the same Jesus who calmed the storm in Mark 4 is the same God with us today. He continues to be charge and in control. He is the God who transcends time and history. He is the God who spoke then and speaks now to the seemingly oppressive waves of life saying, “Silence! Be Still!”

Listening to someone’s iPod in order to get to know him/her! Crazy idea, huh? Here’s another idea for you. How about if you were invited to listen to Jesus’ iPod so that you can get to know him better? How? Join us during the month of February as we explore together some of Jesus’ I AM statements.

As an observer of anything related to building a house or construction, it is impossible not to notice the specific construction vocabulary Jesus used in this story. Jesus uses specific construction vocabulary of building a house on rock or on sand. As an observer of construction, I believe that the most important stage of building a house is its foundation. As an observer, I always thought that building a house on rock costs a lot more as it is time consuming. It seems to me that it would be a lot of hard work. But, also, as an observer, I always thought that when Jesus mentioned the two soils, he was talking about two different locations. In other words, one man went to the rocky mountains of Colorado to build a house. Meanwhile, the other one went to the beach and built a sand castle that obviously would be destroyed by the first wave. Well, when I read a little bit more about this story, that was not the case. Actually, both men chose to build their houses in the same area and on the same soil. If that is the case, Jesus seems to be saying that one man decided to dig deeper and lay the foundation upon a deep-hidden rock (a bedrock). While the other man chose not to dig so deep. He decided to stay on the surface. Like the two little pigs who built their houses of straw and sticks, his choice was to build a house upon a foundation seemingly easier to be established.  Even if that meant having to rebuild his house time and time again.
Every year we all come to the same point of having to have our house (life) ready for the year that is just upon us. Each one of us will choose different approaches to build this house called our life in 2010. As mentioned earlier, some will choose a master plan for 2010. Others will choose promises (new year’s resolutions) and will try as  hard as they can to fulfill them. Planning and promises are not necessarily bad things to make. But, perhaps, they might be laying the foundation of the house called your life for 2010 only on the surface. Perhaps, Jesus, through this silly story, is encouraging us to dig a little deeper this year so that we can lay the foundation on solid rock.
To lay foundation on solid rock, like I said earlier, is not easy. Let’s put it this way, it might be easier to make a hole in the sand than to make a hole in a rock. Right? To build something on a rock might be a slow and, in many ways, discouraging process.
You see, Jesus tells this story within a very difficult context – the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most difficult series of Jesus’ teachings. Difficult to be read, to be understood, and, most importantly, to be put into practice. The Sermon on the Mount starts in Matthew 5 with Jesus listing the categories of those who are blessed. That is very nice. Then, slowly but progressively, he moves into teachings that are not so pleasant. Or, should I say, Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are as hard as rock. The teachings to overly rejoice when we are persecuted; to be the “salt” and the “light” to the world; to leave our offering before the altar when we know that someone has something against us, and to be reconciled with that person; to pluck out our eye if it causes us to sin; to turn the other cheek; to be generous in our giving without promoting ourselves before others; to forgive so that we can be forgiven; not to place our hearts on earthly things; not to be anxious; and not to judge… Those are teachings that, if I could, I would get a good pair of scissors and would cut them out of the Bible. It is within this hard as rock series of teachings that Jesus tells us, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (v. 24).
Jesus makes an analogy saying that his teachings were as hard as to build a house on solid rock. It would require lots of trials and failures. Sometimes, it was going to be frustrating and discouraging but worthy. Because we never know when the weather will change…
We are at that time of the year that we make choices about how we are going to get ready for 2010. Some will rely on the plans made. Others will try harder to fulfill their new year’s resolutions and/or promises. Like I mentioned earlier, those are not bad things but it is as if we are building our houses on the surface. How about if for 2010 we try something different? How about if for this next year we try to dig a little deeper? If you are up to this challenge, here is a prayer I want us to say, “Jesus, I cannot do it by myself. Therefore, I need your help getting ready for 2010 and for the years to come. I know it is going to be hard but I want to start slowly but progressively digging deeper in your teachings. I know I will fail but help me not to give up so that I will build the house of my life, relationships, family, and job on solid rock. So that I can be ready when the weather of my life changes in 2010.” Amen

Let’s say you have never heard or read this Psalm before, what are the first images that come to mind? Well, the first image that comes to my mind is of someone who is grateful and joyful. Moreover, I would say that this person is so thankful for everything that God has done that he/she is honestly expressing his/her excitement. Right? Well, yes and no. The Psalmist in Psalm 126 is living in an unhappy time of his people’s history. Some say that Psalm 126 is a lament. They say that what the Psalmist does is to re-tell what he read and/or heard about the Golden age of his people, Israel. They say that the Psalmist laments as he re-tells and remembers when everything was going well for Israel. They say it is a lament…But I believe what the Psalmist is saying in Psalm 126 is beyond lament. To me, what the Psalmist does is forecast a new golden age in which there will be shouts of joy again. More precisely, what the Psalmist does is sacrificially give a shout of thanksgiving for the circumstances that are not happening.
When it comes to being thankful, sometimes society, culture, and even the church can cause us to go with the flow. Literally, there is peer pressure for us to pretend to be thankful when we don’t feel thankful. What the Psalmist does in Psalm 126 is not pretend that he is thankful.  But it is what I call sacrifices of thanks. The Psalmist painfully and sacrificially portrays an exciting and joyful moment in the life of Israel. You might call him delusional. Well, I call the Psalmist’s attitude divine insanity.
The Psalmist heard what people said about the Golden age of Israel. In other words, his divine insanity partially comes from remembering that if God did great things in the past, He is powerful enough to continue to do great things in the future despite the present circumstances. You see, his thanksgiving is based on what God has already shown He is capable of doing. Also, the Psalmist’s divine insanity comes from God’s promises to His people. Through the prophets, God promised that despite apparently hopeless and not so joyful circumstances, He will produce joy and peace, “You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow” Isaiah 55: 12 – 13.

The Psalmist does not portray this divine-insane picture of joy and excitement in the midst of dryness and desolation based on human optimism and positive thinking. Neither does he portray such a scenario because he is being pressured to say nice words to please his people. But I believe the Psalmist portrays a joyful and exciting scenario in the midst of desolation based on the promises of God. The promises of God are not disposable. Once used, they cannot happen again. But the promises of God are very much a part of God’s essence – His promises remain forever.

The Psalmist deals with two sharp realities. He deals with the unseen reality of God who did great things in the past and He can do it again. But the second part of Psalm 126 portrays the sharp reality of what the Psalmist can see (that is tangible). The dry reality of the unfertile soil,
“Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest” (Psalm 126: 4 – 6).

Whenever we deal with two different and sharp realities, our tendency is to gravitate towards one or the other. What is interesting about the Psalmist is he does not use the unseen reality as a denial of his dry and immediate reality. Neither he dwells in the dryness of his immediate circumstance. Instead, he seems to merge the unseen with what he can see (with what is tangible). It is as if, by him thankfully and joyfully saying that the unseen reality of God can and will do great things, causes the heavens to kiss the earth. It is not that the process changes things drastically and immediately. But the process of thanking for what he does not see seems to promote healing and hope within him in the midst of a dry and unfertile soil.
While spending time with Psalm 126, I thought about my own life. I thought about how much I feel that the situation around me represents this dry and unfertile soil on which the Psalmist finds himself. Furthermore, I thought about what I know what God has done in my life in the past. I know that He has filled my life with laughter and with joy. I know He did in the past and He can do it again. I know that His promises are not disposable but remain forever. Despite all of that, I must confess that I quite often find it very difficult to connect the reality of what God can and will do (promises) with the dry streams of my life. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt that your reality is too painful and too dry for you to portray a joyful and exciting scenario of what God can and will do?
If so, I must say that you and I are in the same boat. Don’t feel that you are the only one. Since we are in this together, I have a suggestion. I want us to think about something that, in our immediate reality, seems to be dry and unfertile (e.g. marriage, job, relationship with God and others, etc). Then I want us to apply what the Psalmist implies in Psalm 126. I want us to sacrificially offer thanksgiving for what is to come in our immediate reality…As we do so, I believe He will start a process of healing and restoration in our immediate reality.