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| Lake Galilee was calm and peaceful, a good place to get away from
the pressing crowds. The fishing boat was quietly cutting through
the water. Jesus was fast asleep. |
| JAMES: | Peter's boat is in good shape, John! |
| JOHN: | Certainly is, James. No creaks and groans. Handles well
in this light breeze. |
| JAMES: | Performs well in heavy winds too, so Andrew tells me. |
| JOHN: | Ever since the crowd came to hear Jesus teaching on the
mountain, he has been flat out with people and their needs! |
| JAMES: | I don't know how he keeps it up! It's good to see him getting
some sleep now. |
| JOHN: | It was incredible how quickly he went out to it! |
| JAMES: | That's right! He gives people all his attention. Really
feels deeply with them in their problems. There's never anything
casual about healing someone. It's as if his whole personality
is focussed on that one person! |
| JOHN: | That's what makes it so exhausting! But if it was me, I'd
keep mulling over it all for hours and never get off to sleep! |
| JAMES: | It's as if - having given his all to people, he doesn't
need to give them any more, just now. Certainly, he must need
that sleep! |
| JOHN: | You know, James, following Jesus is full of surprises.
I'm beginning to wonder if we really know who he is! |
| JAMES: | All those healings - right before our eyes! |
| JOHN: | Well, that side of things is amazing, but... |
| JAMES: | And the way he relates to people! |
| JOHN: | I was thinking about some of the people - like the leper
along the road... |
| JAMES: | That was kind of scary - he actually touched him - and
he was healed! |
| JOHN: | And that Roman officer... |
| JAMES: | He was willing to go into a Gentile house! Said he had
never found anyone in Israel with faith like this! |
| JOHN: | A leper and a Roman officer... Then when we were about
to set off in the boat, a teacher of the Law comes and - with
no special asking from Jesus, like us - says he wants to follow
Jesus wherever he goes! |
| JAMES: | And Jesus didn't grab him and encourage him. Gave him some
tough facts - wonder if we'll ever see him again! |
| JOHN: | Can't you see what I'm trying to say, James? A leper and
a Roman officer are helped. A teacher of the Law is faced with
the toughness of following Jesus! |
| JAMES: | He is different, John! And just look at us - an unlikely
collection of disciples for any Rabbi! I wonder who he'll call
next. |
| JOHN: | Hey, look at the water over there! A storm's brewing! |
| JAMES: | Nothing Peter can't handle! Choppier than I've seen it
in a long time, though! |
| (speaking with louder voices) |
| JOHN: | A dangerous one! We'll have trouble making it - look at
those waves! |
| JAMES: | We're starting to ship water! I'll help Peter and Andrew
get the rigging down. You go get Jesus! |
| JOHN: | He's still asleep! |
| JAMES: | Well wake him then! We need his help too! |
| Help? What help? To fasten the rigging? To start bailing? To
try to balance the boat against the fury of the storm? How could
Jesus help the experts at their own game? But the situation was
desperate. We read what Jesus did in Mark 4.39-41. |
| Reader: | Mark 4.39-41. |