July 28, 2024
Today’s Reading: Mark 6:45-56
Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 13:1-18; Acts 23:12-35
He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:48–50)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Israelites needed a path through the Red Sea as they fled from Pharaoh and his chariots. Jesus needs no path. He doesn’t need a boat or a jet ski. He is Yahweh incarnate. He can take a stroll on the water. He is Lord over all creation. God tramples the waves of the sea (Job 9:8).
After feeding the five thousand, Jesus sent His disciples away in a boat. From John’s account of that miracle, Jesus went away quickly as the people tried to make him their king by force. He went off by Himself to pray but found himself alone on the shore without a boat by evening. He needed to get to the other side of the sea. So He sets out on foot. He saw the disciples in their boat, fighting the headwind as they made their way across. Mark says that Jesus meant to pass them by.
“Jesus passing by” brings up images from the Old Testament. Yahweh passed by Moses and proclaimed His name and His Gospel-forgiving nature (Exodus 34). Yahweh passed by Elijah, and a great wind followed (1 Kings 19). On the Sea of Galilee, Yahweh incarnate almost passed by His disciples. They saw Him and cried out in terror and desperation, thinking He was a ghost. God is spirit, but real flesh in the person of Jesus. Jesus heard the fearful cry of his disciples but didn’t keep going. He got into the boat and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
Jesus hears your cries as you row against the headwind of sin and death, making no headway. He doesn’t just pass you by. He comes to you with the life-giving fruits of His cross. He comes to you in the water of Baptism and pulls you into the ark of His Church. He doesn’t merely pass you by at His Table but puts His very Body and Blood into your mouth. The disciples were astounded and still didn’t understand. But Jesus leaves you with no doubt of who He is for you– your God, your Savior, who carries you through death and the grave to life eternal. Take heart! He is God in the flesh for you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty and most merciful God, the protector of all who trust in You, strengthen our faith and give us courage to believe that in Your love You will rescue us from all adversities; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost)
-Rev. Joel Fritsche, director of Vicarage and Deaconess Internships and assistant professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
The Lutheran Confessions play a vital role in the church—both centuries ago, and today. But, do they apply to the daily life of a layperson? Pastor Andy Wright offers a resounding “yes” in his book, Faithfully Formed. He quotes, summarizes, and synthesizes key teachings from the Confessions, revealing their relevance in the daily lives of ordinary people.
