We've been looking at the way Mark depicts this urgent good news of the astonishing Jesus spreading as he acts and speaks.
To follow Jesus, I concluded yesterday, is to follow an uncomfortable, unpredictable lead through the eyes of gospel-writers who had points to make about who he was and is. Don't let our modern, numerical punctuation obscure this.
After two weeks exploring parables we returned yesterday to miracles. The passage has two different types of miracle - a nature miracle and an exorcism. Two very different experiences of the world back then.
Both have a great simplicity - a bad thing happens and Jesus stops it.
It is another occasion where the chapter breaks, not part of Mark's original work and don't get me started on the sub-headings, help us spectacularly to miss two things that are connected. The two, apparently separate, passages are 4:35-41, where Jesus calms a storm and demonstrates himself Lord over nature, and 5:1-20 where Jesus heals a man who is 'occupied' by so many demons he is called 'Legion'.
What the chapter break helps us miss is that another storm, this time an internal one, can be calmed by the power of Jesus. In fact it led me to my title. Despite their differences, what we see is Jesus calming 'Two Different Storms'.
What the chapter break helps us miss is that another storm, this time an internal one, can be calmed by the power of Jesus. In fact it led me to my title. Despite their differences, what we see is Jesus calming 'Two Different Storms'.
To follow Jesus, I concluded yesterday, is to follow an uncomfortable, unpredictable lead through the eyes of gospel-writers who had points to make about who he was and is. Don't let our modern, numerical punctuation obscure this.
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