Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Isaiah 55.12−end Colossians 1.15−20 Matthew 8.23–27

Here we have a young man. He has not been to a college of further education or to a university. He is a carpenter from a carpenter family. He will be skilled in the tools of his trade, the plane, the saw and the chisel. Yet he has something about him.

We are in the days before Superman, Batman and Spiderman. Such heroes had not yet been conceived or invented. Any power that a person possessed were his alone as opposed to being granted by the influence of coming here from a film company. No going into a telephone box to change from your everyday man in the street clothes into a costume showing you to be a superhuman being capable of doing all manner of things. All that we have here is a young man of humble beginnings but with something different.

We are looking at Jesus. He is the Son of God. He had learnt about his Father during his childhood and early years. He communicated with Him through prayer. He knew he had a mission and ministry, and this was to be directed to the Jews, the chosen people. He called upon twelve people to join with him, to accompany him, to be his disciples. In time their knowledge of Jesus was to grow.

We come to the episode of the boat on the sea. A boat was on the shoreline and Jesus stepped in. His disciples followed him joining with him on his venture. As they were crossing the sea a gale started to blow. Not just a little weak gale but a mighty in strength blow, so mighty that the boat was in danger of sinking. The disciples had a panic fearing for their lives and turned to look at Jesus peacefully asleep.

Why did they turn to him? What did they see in or understand about him? There must have been some understanding of his special nature to turn away from saving their own skins to bother to wake him up. But wake him up they did. And what a response they got. “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” I am sure that this reaction from Jesus was far from what they might have expected. No arm waving, shouting, attempting to bail out the boat, but just a telling off towards the winds and the sea. And they obeyed him! There was a flat calm

The disciples were puzzled. If the powers of nature obey him just who was this Jesus fellow? They were amazed at what had happened and had to look at Jesus in a new light. This is something that we all have to do at some time. We grow a stereotypical picture of Jesus, how he may have looked, how he conducted his life, how he carried out his ministry? These self images may keep us warm and comfortable but how correct are they? Are we in the same position as the disciples in the boat on the sea? Their place of safety and comfort suddenly placed in jeopardy.

It may be in our life we are suddenly faced with a dilemma. Something has happened and a dearly loved one has been taken away from us. Called by God to serve him in his kingdom they are no longer here. About us friends and family comfort and support us and in them, if we open our eyes, we can understand and see Jesus at work. In our times of peril and danger Jesus can be found in those who try to alleviate the suffering. In all who bring relief and comfort. Jesus is at work in the situation. When taken to extremes of suffering such as we saw in the Himalayas, so many lost their life as they were called to serve God. In that suffering there was Jesus present in the relief workers and rescuers. He was acting in them in ways that they had not expected. Tragedies happen but God gives us ways, through his Son, to work through them.

The gospel acclamation for today’s gospel reads, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things.” God created the world and all that is in it. Nature is at work in the world and we work with nature to have all that we have about us, from harvest of the land to harvests of the minerals in the land. All is done ‘through Jesus Christ our Lord’.

And this is who he is. As the Son of God he is always there to support and strengthen, to pour out his love and to lead us onwards. Times may be difficult or even painful, but Jesus will ‘hold our hand’. If the winds and sea obey him then his strength will come to our aid.

Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Holy and eternal God,

you are the Maker of heaven and earth,

you are the Word through whom all things were made,

and you are the Spirit, the giver of life:

draw us into the mystery of your love,

that with all creation we may proclaim your praise,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.