Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

What would cause a boat-guy to get out of his boat in the middle of a raging storm?  Only someone bigger than the storm.  And, only by my faith, by my belief in that someOne bigger than the storm.

With the revelation of yesterday's Podcast: I AM is the guy walking on water towards you, a response is necessary.

Fear is a response.  Awe is a response.  Belief is a response.  Worship is a response.  We see them all.

But this one is a keeper:  I am asking, because You are who You say you are, TO COMMAND ME to do something.  This is rare.  This is remarkable.  This is admirable.  This is absolutely CRAZY...Unless what Jesus said is true.

The disciples are just minding their own business fighting for their life in a boat, in a big storm.  Then somebody walk up.

They are instantly asking themselves the question, WHO is that? and come to the wrong conclusion.  

It is Jesus. And He refers to Himself in a big way.  He makes a reference to the biggest claim of all.  I am the I AM.  I am the one who gave Moses MY SPECIAL NAME at the burning bush.  "Hi God, what is your name?  A: I AM"
Jesus says I AM in Greek in a flash, on the water, in a raging storm.  The disciples have to process this immediately.

The big questions today are WHO you are.  Start with Jesus.  But then connect yourself to the God of the burning bush?  Yup.  Jesus goes big here.  The walking on the water pretty much gives credence to His claim. Then the second question is, are you going to be be Lord HERE?  Are you going to be Lord for me.  Is your kingdom going to come right here?

Listen and find out.

Got the wrong date. It's 7/7/20 and is #115 of the Virus

Wouldn't you want to go on a date with the prettiest girl in your High School?Someone so knee-bucklingly beautiful that you knew you had no business hanging out in the first place? Someone so far above your social circle that you'd be breathing fumes in the rare atmosphere just to talk to her?

All you have to do is ask.

So what if it is God Himself: Majestic, powerful, righteous, just , and beautiful?
Would He want to have a conversation with me?

All you have to do is ask.   

Jesus goes off by Himself to pray.  My Bible notes say that Jesus "spends the night in CONCENTRATED PRAYER".  They didn't all-CAP it, but that is the way I hear it.  But, let me disagree.  It doesn't say that in the text.  This is not the garden of gesthemene.  Jesus just prays.  

How about "Jesus spends the night in calm, Comfortable, familiar conversation with His best Friends of the Father and Spirit who He misses".  Let's not put a burden on ourselves where one doesn't exist.  How 'bout: "I can't wait to be with You Lord.  I have some things to talk to You about, but first, How are You?  How was Your day?...What's going on in Your world?"

Listen and re-define prayer with me.

We get some details about a story that is either totally made up or totally true today.  You know the story.  That is the problem.

Familiarity breeds complacency or awe.  Let's shoot for awe.  That is what happened to the people that were there.

It was not blah blah blah, miracle-smeracle.  Listen and respond.  Just like they did then.

We have to be extra special careful as we approach biblical accounts that we have heard before.  May the Lord give us fresh eyes to see stuff He has for us on this particular day.

Jesus is compassionate to a big crowd that forgets to bring snacks.  
Jesus is confronting to a bunch of disciple bossypants.
Jesus is connected amidst all the chaos to the Father.

This is a great story.  May we be great listeners.

The Bible and the story of mankind starts and ends well.  In the 1702 pages in-between, it is a real mess.  We have gotten ourselves into a problem that we cannot fix ourselves and we need Help.  Fortunately, God has this all figured out and has come to save us.

But in the meantime, we are not exactly at the time when all this is fixed.  John the Baptist, the best guy on the planet, the best guy ever, or at least tied for first, is beheaded before dessert.  Jesus knows all about this.  I think He is grieved for His friend. That is in Matthew 14.

There are a couple of really hopeful passages that look past the mostly nasty 1702 middle pages toward a day where it is all fixed.  We will find out what kind of a God we have and how strong He is.  We will also find out our job description in the meantime.  Listen to our hope from 600bc.

First observation:  John was CLOSE to this party that resulted in his death.  Close enough to regularly meet with Herod and tell him his relationship is not lawful.  As we talked yesterday, that perplexed him.  Maybe John was close enough to hear the music of the dance that resulted in his beheading.

Second observation:  Death Sucks.  Sickness does too.  And evil. and aging, and surgery. and hospice. so does not having all the answers.  So we groan.  John the Baptist certainly groaned in prison and when the knock came.  Jesus, to His great credit, forbears, and then grieves I think.  He at least withdraws to a quiet place.

Listen and grieve with Jesus.

We turn this day to Mark 6 where the same nasty story is told about Herodias and Herod.  They have John the Baptist in prison wanting both to kill him and "keep him safe."  Even Herod with all his power could not keep John the Baptist Safe from Herodias.  The plot thickens as we learn some details from Mark's account.

Herod liked to listen to John.  That is where he kept getting the same message from Leviticus:  It is not lawful for you to have Herodias as your wife.  John, to his imprisoned credit, was faithful to his message.  It is the message he particularly did not want to hear:  You are not the boss.  There is a God who makes the big rules.  You are accountable to Him, etc.

As far as we know, Herod stops his faith journey at PERPLEXED.  Listen, and let's go a bit farther than that in ours.

"It is not lawful".  Yikes.  Just try saying that to a guy who in his mind, MAKES THE LAW.

We see here a chess match that is won by Herod's wife Herodias.  Because of God's law, she is referred to as still being married to Herod's brother.  

Then there is some dancing by a young step daughter that causes promises to be made before lots of guests at a birthday party. 

The curtain comes down quickly as John the Baptist is immediately beheaded. Why is this in the Bible?  Listen and wonder with me.