Mark 4:35-41 (Sunday gospel)
35 On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
36 Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him.
37 A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.
38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm.
40 Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"
41 They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"
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For me personally, as I consider Christ, I tend to forget this element of his presence on earth - total mastery OVER the physical elements. It shows that nothing ... NOTHING ... is out of his control.
When I think about that, I'm blown away by the complete submission that Christ made to God's will in allowing Himself to be put to death. This man had mastery over earth, water, and sky, and he humbled himself to accept God's just penalty for all of our sins. He did this so we could share in His righteousness, in a way we'd never be able to accomplish on our own.
Folks, THAT'S humility. Here's the way St. Paul put it in Philippians 2, when he quoted a hymn of the early church. If you're prone to such things, join me in meditating on Christ's total submission to the Father, and the fact that it is the example for us to live by.
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
6 Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,
8 he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
9 Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
