The Vine: March 11, 2024

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even then winds and the sea obey him?”

— Matthew 8:23-27

In the passage preceding our text for today, Jesus encountered two people who expressed a desire to follow him. One of them was a scribe who said to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” In other words, we will not be staying at the Hilton. The other person who expressed a desire to follow said to Jesus, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus replied, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Clearly, Jesus sensed something in those two individuals that made him hesitate as to their readiness to follow.

On the other hand, there were the disciples who decided to follow Jesus no matter the cost and risk. Jesus ordered them to get into a boat to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is actually a large freshwater lake that is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide at its widest point and is situated in such a way that the winds cause dangerous waves. Storms had a tendency to pop up suddenly, and it is entirely possible that Jesus and his disciples began this journey in calm water. But as we know from reading the story, there was a drastic change in the weather.

I can’t imagine what the disciples were thinking and feeling as Jesus was sound asleep in the middle of the chaos. Things got so bad they finally decided to wake him up. Upon awakening, Jesus asked a simple question, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” One would expect Jesus to have said something like, “Sorry! Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you! I’ll take care of things.” But, instead, he asked, “Why are you afraid?” Then to top it off he tossed in the part about “you of little faith”.

Jesus’ question still rings true for us today: “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” There are many things in life which cause us to be afraid – health issues, problems at work, relationship struggles, financial trouble, worry over our children and grandchildren, etc. The list goes on and on. It is part of the human condition to be afraid, but just as Jesus was present in the boat with disciples, God is present with us today through the Holy Spirit. We have never been and never will be alone. Fear, and even death itself, do not get the final say in this world. Paul said it beautifully in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Remember that this week – nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus!

Questions for Reflection

What are you afraid of today? What caused you to be afraid in the past? How were your fears resolved?
Jesus ordered his disciples to get into the boat to cross over to the “other side” of the Sea of Galilee. Crossing over to the other side meant going from the Jewish side of the lake to the Gentile side. As you can imagine, that was a significant step for the disciples and involved experiencing life with those who were different – culturally, socially, in matters of faith, etc. Jesus calls us to go to the “other side” as well. The other side is different for all of us and can sometimes be daunting.
When has God called you to the “other side” in your life? What was it like being called out of your comfort zone? Is God calling you to something new today that can be considered the “other side”?

Prayer:

“Loving God, we thank you for being present with us in all of life. We especially thank you for your presence during our darkest days. Like the disciples sometimes the best we can do is to say, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’. We confess that going to the ‘other side’ is often not our highest priority. Help us to see the ‘other side’ not as a place of fear, but as a place of opportunity and growth as your disciples. Amen.”

Have a great week!

In Christ,

Brad

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