On Line Bible Study - For the Week August 9-15, 2010

Lesson 452

Luke 8: ²²One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. ²³As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. ²⁴The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

In comedy timing is everything. A great joke is spoiled by inept telling, by giving something away too soon in the story.

One of the questions we haven't addressed much in these studies has to do with the placement of stories, parables, miracles. But it is important to ask the question of the relationship to the meaning of a story as a result of its placement in the text.

Darrel Bock points out that this story of "Authority over Nature" is placed quite differently in Luke and Mark than in Matthew. Luke has Jesus tell us the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, use the metaphor of light to teach us about our responsibility, and the question of who Jesus' family is just prior to this calming of the storm.

In a sense, Jesus' authority to teach, and his prerogative to determine the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of God are solidified by this story of his authority over nature.

Without pushing it too hard, this scholarly issue of placement with its requisite meaning in a particular gospel causes me to wonder about our own experience of God. I think we have focused on teaching our children the Christian Faith from an early age. In a sense, our practice has been to answer questions before they were being asked. We know the positive and negative side of this approach.
Here is a question to ponder: Is the story one of Jesus' authority over nature? Or is it one primarily of rescuing his disciples in the midst of danger? Is Jesus showing off? Or is he saving people?
Put another way: What is the point of the story? What is Luke trying to show us by telling us the story? I think the "point of the story" may well depend on whether you need to be convinced, or you need to be saved. Is your life being tossed around just now by forces beyond your control?
The question is more than where is the story in the chronology of the gospel; the more important question is this: what is the story telling you given your current life situation? There is no doubt that we are 'in the boat'. It's just a question of how much control we think we have.
Where are you just now - do you need to be impressed? or rescued?