The Lord's Compassion

The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Genesis 9:8-17
Ephesians 3:14-21
Mark 6:45-56



Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Romans 1:7)
Last Sunday we saw how the Lord provided in spite of the disciples’ lack of compassion and faith. This Sunday, we see more of the Lord’s compassion, for his disciples, for his people.
Our Gospel lesson this Sunday picks up right after the feeding of the five thousand. St. Mark reports that after the feeding of the five thousand,
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
And we realize that even the Lord needs some time by himself, to reflect, to shut the noise of the world out, to pray, to commune with his Heavenly Father. The long awaited, possibly long planned for vacation was interrupted. Now, after the feeding of the five thousand, they have time at last.
After the Lord prays,
And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
Why did the Lord walk on the sea? Well, first of all, he can. And possibly, he wanted to go ahead of the disciples in order to welcome them when they came to shore.
He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
Now, the Jews had a superstition that a spirit or ghost seen on the sea was a harbinger of disaster. The disciples were afraid because of their superstition. And so, in order to calm them, the Lord comes to them, saying, “Take jeart! Do not be afraid. It is I.” Even in the midst of their fear and superstitious, the Lord reaches out to the in compassion and reassures them that it is no ghost, but the Lord himself. This situation will be repeated later on, when, out of fear, the disciples will mistake the Lord once more for a ghost, refusing to believe that he had risen from the dead. The disciples were terrified, because, St. Mark says, “they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” They saw the miracle of the loaves, and saw their Lord walk on water, and still they were confused and afraid. Why? Because their hearts were hardened. They did not believe in the Lord.
MALADY
And much of the time, we are like the disciples. We also do not understand the Lord’s Word. Do we read the Lord’s Word? And if and when we read his Word, do we understand it? If we do not understand his Word, do we go to Bible study so that someone may explain his Word to us? When the Lord speaks his Word to us through his pastor, do we listen? When we worship, are our minds on the liturgy, or are we off somewhere else? In the events outside, or on our mobile phones, perhaps? And because we are unfamiliar with the Lord’s Word and his promises, we become fearful, like the disciples. We are afraid of our past, which results in guilt; we are afraid of our present, which results in anxiety; we are afraid of our future, which results in worry. We are, like the disciples, superstitious. And so, we attach superstitions to our fears: “Did i do something wrong?” “Am I the target of witchcraft?” “Is this an evil spirit’s doing?” “Shouldn’t we consult a Feng Shui expert?” “What’s my horoscope for today?”
Our unbelief is like the unbelief of the disciples, because we too are witnesses of the Lord’s miracles. Everytime the Lord’s Word is preached, we are witnesses of the Lord’s miracles; eveytime an infant is baptized here in front of us, we witness a miracle; everytime we partake of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we witness a miracle. And yet, in spite of these miracles, still we will not believe. Like the disciples, our hearts are hardened – because of sin.
GOSPEL
But wait. There is another miracle here. The disciples’ unbelief and hardness of heart does not hinder the Lord from being compassionate.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
The disciples’ unbelief and hardness of heart does not stop the Lord from showing compassion to those in need, to those who could not help themselves. Jesus, in spite of fear, unbelief and confusion, reaches out in compassion and heals them. Nothing can hinder the Lord from healing the sick, and saving the lost. Nothing can hinder the Lord from loving us.
And the Lord’s compassion reaches not only those people in need; the Lord’s compassion reaches not only the disciples. The Lord’s compassion also reaches us – even through time, because, like the people in his time, we too are like sheep without a shepherd; we too need his touch so that we may be healed, so that our needs may be met, so that our sins may be forgiven, because his touch brings grace, forgiveness and life. We also need the Lord’s healing touch for we too are sick with fear and unbelief.
So great is the Lord’s compassion that it reaches even to Calvary. And so vast is his sacrifice on that hill that it reaches up to heaven, to the presence of God, so that God’s grace may reach us. And because of the grace which we have received, our unbelief and fear are washed away by the blood of the only begotten Son of God, by his death on the cross.
But not only that. We see, again and again, our Lord’s compassion, even to this day. Whenever his Word is proclaimed, the Lord’s compassion reaches us. Whenever we witness and partake of his Sacraments, his compassion reaches us, bringing forgiveness and new life. Because of what he has done for us on the cross.
And so, in the midst of our guilt, our fear, our confusion and unbelief, once more, through His Word and Sacraments, the Lord comes to us full of compassion, and he tells us: “Take heart. Do not be afraid. It is I.” This is most certainly true. This is most certainly for you.
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. (Philippians 4:7)