5 March 2010
Psalm 69; Gen. 43:1-15; 1 Cor. 7:1-9; Mark 4:35-41

Some family patterns never seem to end. Jacob/Israel is hungry so he is willing to risk losing Benjamin to satisfy his appetite (there is a famine so it isn’t sinful for him to need food, but recall his brother’s need for food was how he got the birthright and his father’s desire for food was exactly how he got the blessing). Additionally, he wants to know why they didn’t deceive the man about having another brother, as he would likely have done. Finally, the brothers are allowed to leave and go with Benjamin back to Egypt to meet with “the man.” The first of Joseph’s two dreams will have come true, but not until many years had passed and much has occurred to make him a very different man from the young man who dreamed dreams. He has seen the dreams of others come true quickly but his had to wait, God was doing something in his life and clearly in the life of his brothers during all that time.

The disciples ask a question the answer to which they can scarcely imagine at this point in their lives, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus seems unconcerned about their predicament, sleeping on a cushion while the storm rages about them. Have you ever felt this way, that your life is completely in turmoil and it seems God is asleep somewhere and doesn’t care about the storm you’re struggling with alone? With a word, Jesus calms the storm and the sea and the disciples are amazed. Their second question “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?” also has an answer they can’t imagine at this point, the one who created them by His powerful word is in the boat with them. The wind and sea have always obeyed His Word.

Paul’s words here are interesting in that it seems that God said it was not good for man to be alone and Paul commends that very thing. We have to remember that they thought Jesus’ return was imminent and that their manner of life was only a temporary thing at any rate. Much like the exiles to whom Jeremiah wrote were these early Christians. Jeremiah had to tell them of their exile that it was going to be a while before they came back to the land so they were to marry and settle in the land in the interim, be a witness where they were. Joseph accommodated himself to Egypt by marrying an Egyptian woman. We know the answers to the disciples questions and we are waiting for Jesus’ coming again but in the interim we follow the words of the prophecy of Jeremiah on how to live in exile.

I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
For the LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and everything that moves in them.