The Problem with Miracles

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
June 25th 2006

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“The Problem with Miracles”
Mark 4:35-41

I have a problem with the stories in the bible where Jesus performs miracles. It is not that I doubt their validity. You see, the problem with miracles is that they allow us to be observers instead of participants in the journey of faith. Each time Jesus performs a miracle it is easy to be spectators who are amazed by the action but see little which connects with our lives. This problem is magnified because of our society which has made a fine art of being passive observers of life. We have been trained to watch, listen, evaluate, occasionally clap but we never get too personally involved.
So when Jesus performs a miracle in the gospel stories, we are already programmed to do the same. We are able to sit back and be in awe of Jesus. “Look how amazing he is!” “Who is this that even the wind and sea obey him?” The problem with all of this – with being a passive observer in life – is that Jesus expects more from disciples.
When evening had come, Jesus invites the disciples to journey over the sea. As they leave the crowd behind them, they also leave behind so much more. The invitation to journey to the other side is scary because Jesus calls them to leave what is familiar and go into the land of the gentiles. The land of the gentiles is the land of the unclean people. It is a place where – it was commonly believed – people who are not included in the love of God lived. To accept this invitation to cross over to the other side means that the journey of discipleship will lead into unknown places where good religious people are just not found. However, despite all of this, the disciples journey with Jesus believing he is worthy of their trust.
On this journey to the land of the gentiles, a great storm arises. Most of the disciples are well seasoned fishermen. So, we know that if they are afraid it is no ordinary storm; it is a storm of epic proportions. Faced with what looks like certain death, the disciples turn to Jesus. And Jesus is fast asleep! Teacher, (they say) don’t you care that we are about to die? It seems they are shocked that Jesus was able to sleep through one of the biggest storms they had ever seen.
Immediately after being awoken, Jesus speaks to the wind and sea. What he said is literally translated: “be silent – be muzzled.” Instead of reading “Peace, be still,” it is more accurate to say that Jesus tells the storm to: “shut up!” It is only after the storm subsides and the sea becomes a smooth as glass that Jesus challenges the disciples. “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith!?” Despite harsh words, Jesus does not abandon the disciples in their time of fear. He simply challenges them as they grow on the journey of faith.
By this point in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has only begun his ministry. Only recently has he called the disciples. Shortly after they begin following Jesus they see him being restrained by his family, accused of being out of his mind by the crowd, and hearing Jesus referred to as a demon by the religious leadership. After this great storm on the sea, the disciples must begin to understand that following Jesus is not a promise of safety and security. This is not a very reassuring picture for those of us who might want to follow in this way.
Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus uses the word peace. In our society, peace is a word which carries a great deal of baggage. Much, if not all, of this baggage has little to do with the peace of Jesus Christ. There are many promises of peace in our world. There promises of peace through war without end. There are promises of peace through security screening and boarder walls. There are promises of peace through the latest technology or fashion or even in a new relationship. However, all these promises of peace are not what the peace of Jesus is all about. The peace promised by Jesus is not a promise that there will be no storms in life. It is promise of peace despite the storms of life.
The invitation to discipleship can often place us right in the midst of the greatest storms in this life. It is not a promise of physical, emotional or even financial success. However, we are promised that on this journey we do not go alone. Even when we doubt, we will not be abandoned. And, even if it seems that Jesus is asleep at the back of the boat of life, we are never alone. That is the good news of this passage.
There are a two lingering issues that arise in this passage. The first has to do with Jesus’ gentile mission. When the disciples encounter a storm of epic proportions just as they journey beyond the bounds of their traditional religious comfort zone is no accident. It is an encounter with the powers and principalities of the religious establishment of Jesus day. Jesus tried to show that God loved all people, even the gentiles. He also invited all who would seek to follow to do the same. This storm is a reminder that the community of the faithful will encounter storms as they seek to share the great good news that all people are loved by God.
As we seek to follow Jesus in our time we must always ask ourselves; who are the gentiles today? Who are the people or groups which the religious community has traditionally seen as outside of God’s love? These are dangerous questions with often scary answers. It can be scary because disciples on this mission today will face the hostility that the disciples did on that sea.
The other lingering issue is what to do with miracles. We must be careful when faced with the miracle stories of Jesus. We can stand with the disciples praising Jesus as spectators in the life of faith. If this is all we do then we will never move beyond our fascination with the amazing power of Jesus. Ultimately this is the way of escape and the way of fear. However, we need not fear, we need not stand as spectators.
When Jesus calls us to follow – he calls us to face the storms of life confident we will never face them alone. However, we are not called to be spiritual superheroes because there will be times of doubt. But even in those moments of doubt and fear we are not alone. Despite our fear and doubt God does not abandon us. Our call is to move from being spectator of miracles to participants on the stormy journey of faith. Amen.