The Rev. Thomas Nibbe
Sunday, June 20, 2021 @ 11:00 a.m.
“…fix your thoughts on Jesus…” (Hebrews 2:1a)
Good morning — Grace and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen! We acknowledge our
debt of gratitude to our fathers on Fathers’ Day. I thank
one gentleman for the gift of life and another blessed and
devout gentleman for being the man who raised me and
loved me with all his heart…as mother and father.
Thank you, from the heart, teens from our Central California
Mission District for sprucing up the building and grounds of
our Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Pacifica last weekend…
Special thanks to the faithful, hard-working members of our
congregation who did so much to make the youth mission a
huge success. Thank you, Jacob and Al for your supervision.
Cooper the Magnificent (the church doggie) loved every single
moment with you and is missing you all immensely…
Would you pray with me today?
Good morning, God. We want to praise you for all that has
happened in our lives to bring you closer to us, to make you
more real to us, and to give us the assurance that in all things
you work for the good of us who love you and are called
according to your purpose in our lives.
We remember our earthly fathers today, and we pray for them,
whether they have been loving and nurturing for us, or even if
they have fallen short of your purpose in making them our father.
Most of all today, we rejoice in the fact that you are our eternal
Father and we praise you for calling us forth and giving us the
gift of a steadfast faith. Father God, you are worthy, you are
faithful, you are loving, and we praise you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THE SCRIPTURES FOR TODAY
“…who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives
the transgression of the remnants of His inheritance?…
You don’t stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy…”
(Micah 7:18)
“…dear friends…let us purify ourselves from everything that
contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of
reverence for God…” (2 Corinthians 7:1)
“…who is this that darkens my counsel with words without
knowledge (2)…who endowed the heart with wisdom or
gave understanding to the mind (36)…” (Job 38:1-11)
“…they reeled and staggered like drunken men…they were
at their wits’ end…then they cried out to the Lord in their
trouble…and He brought them out of their distress…”
(Psalm 107:27,28)
“…I tell you…now is the time of God’s favor…now is the day
of salvation…” (2 Corinthians 6:2b) [Don’t wait for it!]
“…the former regulation is set aside because it was weak
and useless (for the mosaic law made nothing perfect), and
a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God…”
(Hebrews 7:18)
“…where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand…who marked off its dimensions?
Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set…or who laid its cornerstone…
while the morning stars sang together and all the angels
shouted for joy…” (Job 38:7)
“…He got up…rebuked the wind…and said to the waves…
‘Quiet! Be still!’…then the wind died down…and it was
completely calm…He said to His disciples…’Why are you
so afraid…Do you still have no faith?’…they were terrified
and asked one another…’Who is this? Even the wind and
the waves obey Him…” (Mark 4:35-41)
the message
The Gospel writer, Mark, was a second generation Christian.
He wasn’t one of the original disciples. I’m convinced he was
concerned and afraid the Good News of Jesus would be lost
because the original disciples weren’t recording the acts and
events of Jesus’ life. The “originals” were probably convinced
that Jesus would return within their lifetime, bringing about the
end of the world…and thus…a record of His life wasn’t needed.
Mark’s Gospel of sixteen chapters was followed by Matthew’s
including twenty-eight chapters, of course, involving “first-hand”
information in much more detail, sort of, if you will, picturing for
us “The New Moses” primarily for Jews. Matthew did know Jesus
and was with Him for three years. The Gospel writer, Luke, was
the only Gentile (non-Jew) who contributed to the authorship of
the New Testament. Luke had not known Jesus during his lifetime
and so many scholars call his record the Gospel According to Mary.
If the student of the Bible takes a good look at his work it’s obvious
that Luke got much of his source material from Mary, the mother of
Jesus. Luke pictured Jesus as “the most compassionate human
being who ever lived”. The disciple John wrote his Gospel last.
There is no question in my mind that, unlike the other three Gospels,
John considered Jesus the God-Man. Truly, without condition, Jesus
was 100% God and Jesus was 100% human being.
I love the verse from John 1:10-11: “He was in the world, and though
the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”
In our human condition, there is a part of us that thinks we don’t need
God. In our own way we can actually try to shrug Him off. God in a
sense is a “gentleman”. He doesn’t force Himself upon us. In addition,
we have reason to question how Jesus could be both totally divine and
totally human. Although the disciples question the nature of Jesus’
being on the Sea of Galilee, they are convinced by the events of
Holy Week and beyond to clearly understand who Jesus was.
The circumstances of our lives in the post-modern age cause us
to question as the disciples questioned, but the consequent events
of our lives reveal the Jesus of the Scriptures to us. In the process
of this exposure we are drawn to the One who sustains us and grants
us wisdom beyond any comparison.
“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”
When I focus in on this quote, I remember the rebuke Job receives
in the “wisdom literature” of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)…
“…will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him…?”
(Job 40:2)
and
“…where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you
understand…who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!…
Who stretched a measuring line across it?…”
(Job 38:4,5)
The Almighty questions Job in Job’s very deep-riven human pride
which needs to be rooted out, like it needs to be rooted out in your
state of human pride and mine. After all, are we really that smart
and wise that we’re in a position to question the greatness of the
Lord’s knowledge, wisdom, faithfulness, and attentiveness?
Nonetheless, just like Job, five thousand years ago, we’re quick
to question why things happen the way they do, and also, quick to
question why things don’t happen. I hear it often. ‘Where is God
in the midst of this terrible situation? Does He care at all? Why
doesn’t He intervene?” When we’re hard-pressed we’re quick to
press God with questions that accuse and indicate serious doubt.
Several years ago I experienced the most riveting encounter of
my ministry. A devoted member of my congregation had a son
who was perishing because of drug addiction. He approached
the door of my office and asked to come in. He sat down, and
after a greeting, he simply said, “I’ve given up on Jesus. I wanted
you to know why I won’t be in church anymore…” That, in short,
was basically all he had to say. We both sat in silence. As I was
about to speak, he stood up, walked out the narthex, and never
came back again. I stopped by his home several times. It wasn’t
that he wouldn’t answer the door. He was not at home. Within a
month, he died. There was no funeral. His family members weren’t
available to talk to about the reason for death. It was not suicide.
More recently, right before our year in the pandemic, I saw his son,
looking sharp, and well groomed in San Francisco. He had obviously
recovered from his addiction. How my heart ached for the pain my
friend and parishioner must have felt…[if only he could have]…
Like Job, no matter how solid we may look to those around us,
no matter how faithful we’ve seemed to be — we question God.
We wonder if he really exists. We question His wisdom. We
wonder if He cares at all…
Stand fast in faith! Jesus is worthy of your trust!
I’ve noted through the years…
God entitles us to feel the way we do. It’s not the way we are feeling
that brings personal victory in our lives, especially with those we love
who are in trouble in this life. It is what we do with the way we feel
that makes the difference. Whether it’s anger from disappointment,
or frustration from “waiting and waiting” for necessary things to happen,
or confusion in regard to the way things are happening…
Feel the way you do…[don’t act out]…
and then…fix your thoughts on Jesus…
Do the right thing. Do the thing that will bring a Godly result…
In today’s lesson we’ve arrived at the fourth chapter of Mark’s
Gospel. Jesus has been a superlative teacher and He’s healed
several people, but now, in verses 35 through 41, we note a new
and impressive aspect of His ministry. Jesus has mastery even
over the physical elements. Being raised in the church, we may
may just shrug this miracle off, but the disciples did not. What
happened really caused them to re-evaluate who their Master was.
And they would learn more as time went on.
The disciples ask the question in the Gospel lesson for today…
“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him…”
That’s a question we need to ask ourselves anew time after time!
Well,
the Lord Jesus is co-creator of the universe…
One with His father…and yet fully human…
the healer of diseases…the One who shed His
innocent, precious, divine blood as a sufficient
sacrifice to save our souls…
“…the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of His being, sustaining all things by His
powerful word…” (Hebrews 1:3)
We note the divine wisdom of God’s Word in the quote from
1 Corinthians 12:3b…
“…no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit…”
Well, the time must come when we desire to receive what
John Wesley (a student fond of Luther’s teaching) called
“the second blessing” and we invite the Holy Spirit to come
into our heart…Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
As He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, the Lord Jesus
calms the anxiety caused by our circumstances and always
finds a way to satisfy our hungry hearts…
Who is this?
The Lord Jesus Christ
…the author of our personal salvation…
…the One who intervenes in our behalf before the Father…
…the One who calms our fears and provides victory for us…
…the One who forgives our sins and saves us from ourselves…
…the One who walks with us into the valley of shadow of death…
…the One who works for the good of us who love Him…
We receive you as our Lord and Savior.
Come.
We welcome you in.
Cordially,
Tom
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