Proper 12 B                                                                              2 Kings 2:1-15
July 30, 2006                                                                            Psalm 114
St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church                                Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16
The Rev. Linda McCloud                                                          Mark 6:45-52 

We All Need A Miracle             

            Believe it or not, we are approaching the mid-point of The Season after Pentecost.  This is the “green season” or, as I like to call it, the “growing season” for Christians.  This is the time for our faith to increase as we hear more about the life and times of Jesus and his first disciples.  This is the time when the practice of our faith becomes very daily and the church looks the same for weeks on end.  About right now, we could use a good miracle to increase our faith.   

Over the past few Sundays, we have been hearing the miracle stories of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark.  Most notably, last Sunday we heard the reading about the miracle of the loaves and fish, with which Jesus fed the five thousand.  In our Vacation Bible School last week, I explained to the children the reasons why the symbol of the fish figured so prominently in early Christian life.  We still see that symbol on cars and billboards and everything in between.   

Just in case you have not heard it, here is the story.  The language of that day, and the language in which the New Testament is written, was Greek.  The Greek word for fish is “Ichthus.”  The letters that make up the word are also the first letters of the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior.  So, “Ichthus” is an acronym that the early Christians knew.  The story goes that if two persons met and one wanted to find out if the other was also a Christian, the first could trace an arc in the sand with his or her foot.  If the other person was a Christian, he or she could trace an opposite arc, thus forming the shape of a fish.  This probably worked pretty well as a secret code until the opposing authorities found out about it.  This would also have been a way to keep alive the story of Jesus’ feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.  I think we see its importance by the fact that this miracle is reported in all four Gospels. 

Miracles always fascinate us because they signify God’s intervention into time and space.  The biggest miracle of all time is God’s intervention in history in the person of Jesus Christ.  When God breaks into our lives, things change.  We have to begin to look at life from a different perspective.  We all need a good miracle now and then.  There are some miracles that we could pray for every day.  One miracle would be peace in the Middle East.  We are told in Psalm 122:6 to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”  That would be an enormous miracle, since that strip of land has been “lawed over” and fought over for thousands of years.  When peace comes to that area of the world, I will see it as direct intervention of God into time and space. 

Then there are those who are afflicted with some life-threatening disease or injury.  They or their friends are praying for God to intervene and heal them.  This is why we pray the “Prayers of the People” every Sunday and read names of those for whom prayer has been specifically requested.  Every now and then we hear of a miracle connected to that list.  Last Thursday some people came to walk the Labyrinth.  One of those persons was a young boy who had suffered severe injuries as the result of an accident.  He had been in a children’s hospital in Atlanta for several weeks.  But – here he was, walking the Labyrinth on Thursday evening.  I count that as a miracle. 

Another miracle we could pray for is right here in Moultrie.  We have an amazingly high drop-out rate in our high school.  We should pray that God will intervene in the lives of these young people and give them a vision of the importance of a good education.  We adults can wring our hands and lecture them, but until the students themselves catch a hunger and thirst for learning, our efforts are in vain.  We need a miracle.   

Our Gospel reading for today is yet another miracle story, following hard on the heels of the loaves and fish. This is the story of Jesus walking on the water.  Those who do not believe in miracles would say there is no way anyone could transcend the laws of nature.  If we step into water without a flotation device, we sink.  But Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, broke through those boundaries of nature and walked on the water.  I love this story because it assures me that Jesus is with us in our darkest hour.  The disciples were in trouble out there on the Sea of Galilee.  The Sea of Galilee is really a large lake, but a storm can quickly arise, bringing with it tremendous waves. The disciples were rowing like mad against the waves to get to the other side, when suddenly they saw Jesus walking towards them on the sea.  

There are two miracles in this story. The first was that Jesus was walking on the water.  The second is that when Jesus got into the boat with his disciples, the wind ceased.  When we are in the midst of stormy times, it is a good idea to invite Jesus into the situation.  Even if the wind around us does not cease, our awareness of Jesus’ presence will calm our hearts.  It is comforting to know that miracles are possible whether or not we personally get a miracle. 

Think for a moment about your life.  In what area of your life do you need a miracle?  Is it in relationships?  Finances?  Education?  Housing?  Where do you need God to intervene and change your situation?  Maybe we don’t need to see a chariot of fire or to be able to part the Jordan River as Elisha did, but we all need a miracle in some aspect of our lives.  Don’t be afraid to ask for it.   

Regardless of what other kind of miracle we need, we all get the opportunity to experience a miracle every Sunday.  Every time we come to this altar and receive the broken body and poured-out blood of our Lord, we receive the greatest miracle of all time.  We participate in the intervention of God in history.  As we receive the Body of Christ from the altar, we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This enables us to go out into the world as changed and graced people.  This allows us to be a part of the building up of the Body of Christ, which is his church, of which Jesus Christ is the head.  Thanks be to God for his immeasurable love.