Sermon Index
August 29, 2012
| GOSPEL LESSON: Mark 6:45–56 45Immediately [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. 53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. |
When you see a miracle, what do you really see? Do you see only the obvious outward sign of the wonderful act? Do you see only the deliverance or healing? Do you see only the beauty of the sunset or the marvel of new life? Do you see only the power of God the Creator?
When you see a miracle, you must see the heart of God. Otherwise it is just a coincidence. Otherwise you will say with the writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes, “Vanities of vanities, all is vanity, all is worthless, all is meaningless” [1:2]. It is only through the eyes of faith that we see that an event is really a miracle from God. Unbelievers do not believe in miracles. Sinful people refuse to see a miracle. If they saw a miracle they would have to change their thinking and way of life. But to see a miracle, first you must have faith in God. With faith we can see the heart of God.
But what God do we see? Do we see God as the Creator or God as the Savior? Of course it is one and the same God, but how do we understand the working of God in our lives? Every sunrise is a miracle. Every Japanese vocabulary word that I study and remember is a miracle. Every time I drive my car somewhere and come home safely is a miracle. I thank God for that, but do I really understand the miracle?
The writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes did not understand. He was living under the Old Covenant of the Old Testament. He saw the working of God in nature and in the lives of people, yet said, “Vanities of vanities, all is vanity, all is worthless, all is meaningless” [1:2]. We are told in today’s Gospel reading that the Disciples did not understand. Earlier that day they had seen the feeding of the 5000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Then they saw Jesus walking on the water and they saw how Jesus calmed the sea. The Gospel reading says, “And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (6:52). Yes, they saw the miracle, but they did not understand. They saw the action of God, and yet they did not understand what God was doing. But the people of the village where Jesus landed seemed to understand better. As soon as they recognized Jesus, they brought all their family or friends who were sick and brought them to Jesus to be healed. They saw the miraculous power of Jesus and they also saw his love and mercy, too. They saw the God of Salvation! Unlike the disciples, they seemed to understand about the loaves, they understood the compassion of God.
One of the most important things about a miracle is that it is a revelation of God. It is an epiphany. It is a manifestation of God. This is why in the Gospel Book of John, the miracles of Jesus are not called “miracles” but are called “signs.” The miracles are signs that show who Jesus is. They show that he is God. They are signs that show the heart of God. They show his love and compassion. In the Old Testament there are miracles that show the love of God. There is the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. There are times when God saved Jerusalem from its enemies. And the return of exile in Babylon was also seen as the saving work of the Lord God. In these acts of God, we see the heart of God. We see his love and his faithfulness to keep his promise to Abraham and to David.
In the New Testament we see the heart of God in all the miracles. From the virgin birth to the resurrection, we see the plan of God’s salvation. We see the God of love. Even on the cross, we see the salvation of God.
What does this mean? What does this mean for me? Martin Luther loved that question in the Small Catechism! As we study the catechism, we see that Luther personalizes the Ten Commandments, Creed and Lord’s Prayer so that we know that it is God working in each of our lives. Let’s give just one example. Since the Gospel lesson talks about the feeding of the 5000, let’s look at the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer.
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“Give us this day our daily bread.” “What does this mean?” “God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.” |
That there is food on our dinner table is the result of a long list of miracles, from the crops in the field to the harvest and shipping and selling and cooking, and finally the delicious taste and fellowship with the family. The table grace is thanking God for revealing his love to us. It is a love that sustains us daily. It is a love that redeems us and makes us holy. It is a love that saves us eternally. It is a love that opens our eyes to see the heart of God.
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church