A homily by Fr. Gene
Tucker, given at Trinity
Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois onSunday, June 24,2012.
“WHO THEN?.....GOD THEN!”
(Homily texts: Job 38: 1 – 11 and Mark 4: 35 - 41)
“Who then is this, that even
wind and sea obey him?” (Mark 4: 41)
“Who is
this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38: 1)
Our Old
Testament reading and our Gospel reading for this Sunday have to do with identity.
The disciples ask, “Who then is
this, that even wind and sea obey him?” as they witness the calming of the
raging Sea of Galilee.
And in our
reading from the Book of Job, God asks Job, “Who is this who darkens counsel by
words without knowledge?”
Identity in
these two readings has to do with creator and creation…with God and with
humankind.
Identity in
these two readings has to do with the power of the creator over the creation….the
creation being the world we live in and the people God has created.
In order to
tie these two passages together, we need to step back and take a look at the
Book of Job. I will admit to you that I
don’t think we spend nearly enough time in this marvelous part of the Old
Testament (today’s lectionary gives us a chance to fix that!).
So, by way
of reminder or introduction, let’s take a brief look at Job.
Job is the
central character in a struggle to live his life faithfully before God. As we are introduced to Job, we see that he
is a pious, faithful man. But soon,
calamity enters his life: He breaks out
with disease, he loses his family and all his possessions, his friends
encourage him to denounce God because they think that God has abandoned him. Job succumbs and lashes out at God. But in the end, Job remains faithful to God,
for God has personally revealed Himself to Job. That is enough for Job to
remain faithful.
As we pick
up the scene before us this morning, we might paraphrase God’s comments to Job
by saying, “Who are you? Where were you
when I created the world?”
The
implication is that Job is a human being, a created being, one who does not
possess the power to create, nor the power to completely understand God’s
creation. The further implication is
that God is in charge, Job is not.
Turning now
to our Gospel reading, we see that Jesus exercises power over the creation by
stilling the wind and the waves.
The meaning
of this miracle goes far beyond the simple act of controlling the environment
of the boat that Jesus and His disciples are riding in….This is a God
moment!
In much the
same way that God reveals Himself to Job, Jesus reveals himself to His
disciples by showing them that God’s power is His power, the power to create order
out of chaos, the power to control creation.
A way of
looking at the miraculous acts that Jesus does is to see that they all point
beyond themselves to show us that God is present in the works that Jesus
does. God’s power is also Jesus’ power. So the central meaning and the point that God
wants us to grasp is that Jesus is fully possessed of the power of God. Jesus is, therefore, “God with us,” or
“Emmanuel”.
The
question naturally arises: Where does
God’s power over the creation show itself today?
After all,
when God is at work, there are unmistakable signs of His power….power over the
created order, power over the creation.
We human beings are God’s creation, and it is within human beings’ lives
that God is most at work….creating, renewing, bringing order out of chaos.
Having
enumerated these things, let’s look at some of the ways we might see God’s
unique, unmistakable imprint in people’s lives:
·
The power to heal: One way to look at disease and illness is
that it brings chaos into the orderly functioning of the body. By the laying on of hands and anointing with
holy oil, healing – bringing order out of chaos – can be realized. I have in mind as I say this two accounts
within our own Diocese of individuals who have been healed by the laying on of
hands, with prayer and with the anointing of oil. The incidents that I have in mind are healings
that go beyond what medical science alone is able to accomplish. This creative, restorative power is a marker
of God’s presence.
·
The power
to recreate: Ever known someone who
has struggled with a destructive pattern of behavior, perhaps an addiction of
some sort? Looked at from a spiritual
perspective, such an addiction or destructive pattern is chaotic, for the
substance to which a person is addicted is essentially controlling the person’s
life. But God’s power can bring order
out of this chaos. An example of God’s
power to redeem and restore order to a chaotic, addicted life can be found
within my own immediate family: Many of
you will recall the story of my father’s delivery from addiction….In fact,
God’s delivery was from not one, but two addictions. All of us in my family know firsthand that
God has the power to redeem chaotic situations and to create new and abundant
life.· The power to recreate us into God’s image: Each of us – if we are honest with ourselves and with God – struggle with one or more traits or tendencies which seek to alienate us from God. Call them sinful tendencies, or perhaps imperfections in our inclinations and desires, by whatever name, these parts of our innermost being bring about a quiet, gradual chaos in our relationship with God. These are not raging winds nor roaring waves. No, these quiet, unholy parts of our “default positions” nevertheless alienate us from God and make us think that we alone are in charge. Here, we are back to Job’s condition before God as God asks (in essence), “Who are you?”
Creator and creation, God and us. At the root of it all lies this truth: God is God, and we are not. God is in control, we are not.
Once we
realize this important and basic truth, then God’s power to control the
creation (including us) can take hold, recreating, reforming, and renewing the
people of God’s own possession: you and
me.
“Who then
is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
Who, indeed, but God Himself, present in the power and the work of Jesus
Christ.
Thanks be
to God!
AMEN.
