June 24, 2018 - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - From Jesus as Superman to Jesus Christ Superstar

Yes, it’s Superman, strange visitor from another planet who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands and who fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.

Jesus performs an astonishing feat in today's Mark 4:35-41 Gospel reading. He demonstrates power over forces beyond humanity’s normal control.

Neil Thorogood

When I was young Jesus calming the wind and sea served as a Jesus-is-superman-type story. Jesus was portrayed as the strong protector. I was encouraged to read this story of Jesus calming the storm as exemplifying how Jesus could calm the storms of life. I was told the storm’s obedience to Jesus’ command functioned as further proof that Jesus was God incarnate. Jesus brought peace where there had been chaos.

Yet his followers, according to the text, are still confused and fearful at the time. Why would the disciples have still been afraid? They had witnessed the healings and miracles of Jesus but even after seeing all these miracles, they were not sure who Jesus was. According to some, who worshiped in the congregations of my youth, the disciples lacked faith. They did not understand that Jesus was the Son of God and and that is all Jesus wants from and for us - to have faith that Jesus is God.

Pastor Ray's sermon today centered on the relationship between our fear and our faith. He asked the congregation when we were in a difficult situation - if our first reaction was fear, did that made us doubt that our personal faith in the constant, solid rock of Jesus? Nobody raised their hand to admit they had that kind of doubt. Here is my answer to that question.

The importance of Jesus calming the storm at sea is neither primarily about some that Jesus is really God nor about having faith that Jesus exhibiting superhuman powers. The question Jesus asks is not designed to shame the disciples for not knowing he is God. Instead this passage suggests the authority of Jesus does not, in the end, come from any proof that he is God or from astonishing feats he accomplished that no other person can do. Looking at the details in this Gospel passage leads to other interpretations.

Let's examine those details. This story starts out in the evening, when the habits, daily life and powers humans follow during the day do not hold as much sway. Fear of the unknown is heightened. As the boat is crossing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, they are also crossing other boundaries, into Gentile territory, where they will be met immediately by a man possessed by a legion of demons rushing at them from the tombs. So in this passage, the wind and the sea may be creating a visual manifestation of the dangers and fears of being in the boat with him.

Jesus appears to be "asleep" on a cushion at the stern, asleep at the spot in the boat where the boat should be steered. The storm comes up. There are fishermen among the disciples so they are unlikely to be overreacting to the life-or-death situation they are experiencing. Jesus is not providing any direction and, as a result, they are afraid. Even when Jesus wakes up he does not try to guide the boat to safety (as the disciples might have anticipated) but uses his words to calm the wind and the sea.

The way Jesus uses his authority here can be viewed as a powerful messiah who does what only God can do. Yet at this particular moment, if Jesus only wants his followers to recognize and believe in him as the messiah or God, this spectacle is a failure, just as it would be today. Jesus knows the minds and hearts of his disciples. He would know what would convince them he was God and would also know how to calm their fears. I doubt any of this is God's only or even primary intention.

Also, let's suppose there was a disciple who had faith and no fear. Would that disciple still wake Jesus up or would he or she have faith that Jesus would wake up at the appropriate time. Or, perhaps, this disciple would simply trust that Jesus had the situation in hand to calm the sea before the boat was swamped even if he was asleep? The view of Jesus simply showing he is God by exhibiting this extraordinary power to inspire faith in him is problematic on many levels.

There can be other views, however, like the one that we started to explore last week. This could be the Gospel telling all the truth but telling it slanted again. Jesus intimately knows the limitation of his followers faith when confronted with fear. Jesus knows his followers can't gain the faith to overcome all our fears. The good news is that this is not required to calm the storms that come up in our lives. Calm and peace comes from his words, even though all our fears may not be allayed.

There is another frame that this can be seen through .The musical Jesus Christ Superstar explores the man and God nature's of Jesus. In the song Heaven On Their Minds Judas sings from a decidedly modern perspective:

You've started to believe
The things they say of you.
You really do believe
This talk of God is true.
And all the good you've done
Will soon get swept away.
You've begun to matter more
Than the things you say

Consider these lyrics and Jesus calming the sea together. There appears to be a conflict in the lyrics regarding whether the figure of Jesus or his teaching is more important. That conflict is reconciled in this Gospel passage.

When Jesus calms the storm he matters more because of the things he says.