Dearest e-votees-
Our appointed psalm lesson for this week is Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32. It is certainly drawn upon to reinforce the appointed gospel lesson from Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm.
One thing that is lost through this particular snipping of the pericope, however, is that we lose the repetition of the refrain found in verses 6, 13, 19 and 28: “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he [“delivered them” (6), “saved them” (13 & 19), “brought them out” (28)] from their distress;”
No matter the trouble whether in the desert places or in prisons or in sickness or in turbulent seas the response from God when the people cried out was always God rescuing them from their distress. Do you think God’s heart is still inclined to come to the aid of God’s people when they cry out in faith and hope?
Peace,
Karl
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1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; 29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
There are two strands of salvation.
There is the salvation of verses 1-3. God’s steadfast love which endures forever (even beyond the grave). God redeems us from all troubles, all trials and afflictions. The beggar Lazarus and the repentant thief (traditionally named Dysmas) and even [insert your name here] who struggled and was afflicted with [you know what goes here] are made whole and well and healed and will spend eternity as part of the great cloud of saints gathered from all compass points. The Great Commission has brought us and many to the font and to places of learning and discipleship and to life—life eternal. We know how this story ends and it will end well. God will bring to completion what God has begun.
There is also the salvation of verses 23-31 [and 4-9 and 10-16 and 17-22] in which God’s steadfast love breaks into situations that beset us in this life. Things come our way. We cry out to the Lord in our trouble and mercy comes. We cry out to the Lord in our trouble and healing comes. We cry out to the Lord in our trouble and freedom comes. We cry out to the Lord in our struggles and failings and temptations and healing comes. Things are made right. Storms are stilled. Demons are sent packing. We are found clothed and in our right minds wanting to walk with Jesus every day. People who knew us before might not even recognize us or may even be terrified at the holy transformation that has occurred in our lives.
But as real and true and awesome and necessary the second sort of salvation is we know that it is sometimes only a temporary reset. The other Lazarus was given a mulligan but he still got to go through death again. Sometimes the storms do us in. Sometimes a part of us dies from exposure in the desert. Sometimes we don’t get spared the consequences of our wrong-headed choices. Sometimes things come our way whether merited—think Adam and Eve; think Ananias and Sapphira—and sometimes when they are not—think Job (also part of this week’s appointed lessons); think the man born blind. Something will be our undoing. Whether a literal death or a figurative death something will trump our abilities to survive—maybe storms; maybe consequences of our sinfulness; maybe desert exposure; maybe chambers and prisons—we will not survive everything that besets us. Death and mortality are part of our fallen nature.
Our job is not to heap judgment on those who might succumb as Job’s “friends” did. All of us will find ourselves among the ashes with only potsherds to bring us comfort at some point. Death will come. Healing will not always be the end of our sicknesses in this world. We do well to offer comfort and care to all who suffer knowing that in caring for “the least of these” we care for Jesus. May God’s mercy and comfort send us such ministering angels when it is our time. And then we die.
But that first salvation trumps the failings of the second salvation. Death will not win. Jesus’ resurrection is the forerunner of our own resurrections. We will be with Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. We will be with Jesus in Paradise with Dysmas. The storms will be ceased once and for all. There will be no more crying save, perhaps, tears of purest joy. Thanks be to God that we will be saved. And because of that we need not fear any storm, nor any cell, nor any illness, nor any desert, nor even any fiery furnace for “If our God who we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18, NRSV
Saving God, save us as you will in this life. Teach us to cry out to you and to wait for your salvation. You are good and faithful. And when we are not saved from our demise in this life raise us imperishable to take our place with you and the great cloud of witnesses for the truest and purest and most holy salvation you have established for your people. Amen.
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