April 9, 2006

Where Is My Guest Room?

by Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson

Mark 14:12-16

Many of us are familiar with the stories in the gospels about Jesus walking on water. In our language, that phrase has come to be a way of saying that we think of someone as being almost divine. It is a good thing to have someone say of you, “I felt like he or she walks on water”.  

We mean that figuratively of course, unless we’re talking about ice fishing on Pewaukee Lake in January. And then it’s literal. But most of the time, when we say someone walks on water, we’re saying that they’re almost too good to be human, because no human we know can walk on water. 

I read an interesting article about a scientist in Florida who has come up with a theory about Jesus walking on water. Doron Nof, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University, said on Tuesday that his study found an unusual combination of water and atmospheric conditions in what is now northern Israel could have led to ice formation on the Sea of Galilee. 

No used records of the Mediterranean Sea's surface temperatures and statistical models to examine the dynamics of the Sea of Galilee, which Israelis know now as Lake Kinneret.

The study found that a period of cooler temperatures in the area between 1,500 and 2,600 years ago could have included the decades in which Jesus lived. 

A drop in temperature below freezing could have caused ice thick enough to support a human to form on the surface of the freshwater lake near the western shore, Nof said. It might have been nearly impossible for distant observers to see a piece of floating ice surrounded by water. 

Now I’m not going to argue with his science. I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about. But when the authors of the Bible wanted their readers to understand that things happened because the hand of God was working directly in the world, we should not try to explain those stories in terms of natural causes.  

When New Testament writers wanted to describe the events leading up to Jesus’ arrest and conviction and execution, they told the stories in a way which highlighted God’s hand in the turn of events. And they were trying to do that because they wanted to emphasize to their readers that even Jesus’ arrest and the kangaroo court they put him through were part of God’s working in history to bring about the salvation of the world.  

Regardless of whether or not you accept these events as real history or just a fable, there’s little argument that the gospel writers did want to say some things happened according to God’s purposes. The passage we read today is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. 

Story:  

Disciples approach Jesus about Passover meal

Lambs were sacrificed, then eaten.

Sent them into the city – probably Jerusalem

Manner similar to the way they found the colt for Palm Sunday

Meet man carrying jar of water. Most water was transported by men carrying skins. Jar would be conspicuous.

Follow to building. Ask householder “Where is my guest room?”

Owner will show large upper guest room for Passover. Disciples are to prepare. 

Some see prior arrangement. I think Mark underscores work of God despite terrible events about to happen.  

Jesus was considered criminal, Mark paints picture of God working salvation in apparently disastrous events. 

Real life, people see no working of God. Chance, natural causes, choices of people. 

Christian faith – reinterprets events – God working salvation even in disaster.  

Difficult to see at the time. Usually in hindsight God’s work is more visible.  

Country has faced difficult times in the last year. Katrina forced people to see poverty up close. Seems like dismal crisis.  

Ellen – widespread damage. Everyone sees disaster. 

Work of God – people talking about poverty. Hospitality shown to poor.  

God giving us a golden opportunity to take fresh look at poverty. Work of God, not triumph of evil. 

Opportunity to look at how we address poverty. Instead of fixing poverty, maybe we could focus on fixing or alleviating greed, which leads to poverty.  

Not saying that disasters or tragedies are God’s doing. But people of faith see hand of God working for salvation of the world when everyone else sees natural causes, bad luck, or unchecked human evil.