Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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INTRO
One of my favorite actors passed away a few years ago.
He was the somewhat cross-eyed actor of the detective show that lasted on the tube for 32 years.
I always wondered why he looked that way until I recently learned that Columbo actually had a glass eye.
You see, when he was 3 years old, he had a cancerous tumor which had to be removed along with his eyeball.
He lived the rest of his life with a glass eye.
One of my favorite actors passed away a few years ago.
He was the somewhat cross-eyed actor of the detective show that lasted on the tube for 32 years.
I always wondered why he looked that way until I recently learned that Columbo actually had a glass eye.
You see, when he was 3 years old, he had a cancerous tumor which had to be removed along with his eyeball.
He lived the rest of his life with a glass eye.
But he didn’t allow it to cramp his style nor take away his sense of humor.
When he was in high school, he played baseball.
Sliding into third one day, the umpire called him out when he knew he was safe.
Without a hesitation, he pulled out his glass eyeball and handed it to the umpire.
“Hey Mr. Ump,” he said, “You’ll do a better job with this!”
Ouch!
He was telling that umpire that while sight takes eyes, many people have sight but they just can’t see.
Dr. Katrina Firlik was a neurosurgery resident at the University of Pittsburgh.
In her last year of residency, she was already becoming a bit jaded to the tragedy of brain injury.
One day she walked into the room of a new out of town patient.
It was an 18 year-old patient with cerebral palsey.
Her brain went on automatic and she was thinking “Alright, alright, I’ve ssen it all before.
I just need to get a good history before the attending physician comes in.”
She said, “I looked at the patient for a second: very skinny, special wheelchair, arms contracted, head support in place, mouth hung open.
It was clear I wasn't going to get the story from him, so I turned to the parents, my back toward the patient, and started to take down the history.
When the attending physician walked in he introduced himself, sat at the table looked at the patient in the eye and asked, “So when did you graduate from High School?”
The patient was wearing a large high-school ring, so large that it looked a little silly on his bony finger.
His body, far more than his mind, had borne the brunt of his cerebral palsy.
He was a proud, beaming high-school graduate, who used a specialized computer to help him communicate.
For the remainder of the visit I sat in the corner, duncelike, humbled by the enormity of this ring now staring me in the face.
It’s so easy to look without seeing.
Sometimes, even when the truth is staring us in the face, we just can’t see.
Background
You see this happening in the text today.
We’re in the second gospel in your New Testament: The book of Mark.
It was written by a guy named John Mark who was probably a follower of Jesus who traveled with the Apostle Peter and heard him preach message after message.
This gospel of Mark probably records the life of Christ from an Apostle who had walked with Him.
If you’ve been following along with us as we are reading through the gospels, you read this past week.
In this chapter you find two very familiar stories: The feeding of the 5000 and the account of Jesus walking on the water.
Though they seem to be disconnected stories when you first read them, there is a very strong link between them.
The last part of v 51 says that, after Jesus feeds all of those people, walks on the water and even calms the wind, that they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure.
That seems like a normal reaction on it’s face, but the text goes on to say that they were so amazed, v52, For they had not understood about the loves (watch this!) BECAUSE THEIR HEART WAS HARDENED.
I think Mark is trying to tell us that the disciples, by this point, should have been EXPECTING Jesus to do things like this because they recognized that He was the Son of God.
Instead, they were blown away.
They should have seen that He was God, but their hearts were hardened.
Which teaches us this definitive truth: SIGHT TAKES EYES; SEEING TAKES FAITH.
I say that because the disciples had observed all that had happened that day.
They had looked, but they hadn’t really seen because their hearts were hard.
Need
And I know, I know, you’re probably saying, “That’s great, Rusty, but what does that have to do with me?
Why should I listen to a message on two stories that are already so familiar to me?”
I think the answer is very simple, really.
I think this should matter to you because you might be looking for some change in your own life that just hasn’t happened yet.
You know you’re supposed to belong to Jesus and your life is supposed to be different from what it used to be but it’s not.
You that temper that haunts you and ruins your relationships should be under control because you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, but that just isn’t the case.
You keep losing it and hurting the ones you love.
Maybe you’re carrying around a boatload of fear.
You know that God’s promises have to be true because He made them to people like you, but it doesn’t help you take the risk you need to take some how.
You’re still paralyzed by great fear.
Maybe you’re struggling with addiction.
You know that Jesus is supposed to mean more to you than your bottle or your pipe, or your pictures but He seems so far away when you’re tempted.
I don’t know what it is for you, but you know that following Jesus was supposed to bring life change that it just doesn’t seem to be bringing, and you’re getting really frustrated.
May I just make a suggestion?
Maybe your problem isn’t about what you’re DOING; maybe your problem is about what you’re SEEING.
Maybe seeing—really seeing—Jesus for Who He is would bring the change you can’t seem to work up.
Trans
So here’s the question: What does it mean to really see Jesus?
Well, let’s look at these two stories and try to answer that question.
In the first place:
Seeing Means Seeking
ILL
ILL
Some of you might remember a guy who came to this church over 10 years ago now.
His name was Rick Alonzo.
He was a Kung Fu Artist.
He combined marital arts with painting.
(Don’t try to figure it out—just go with it!)
The only thing I really remember the whole thing was a technique he used.
He would paint and paint and you’d be looking at it thinking, “This dude has no clue what he is doing,” then, at the end, he’d turn the painting over and it would be a picture of great meaning.
(If you have pics show them) This (pic one) would become this (pic 2).
That’s kind of what is going on in the feeding of the 5000.
EXP
says,
So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.
They arrived before them and came together to Him.
If you’re just reading along in the gospel of Mark, you might be tempted to think that this feeding is just an accidental thing, but I believe Jesus is painting a picture with this miracle.
Follow me: Where did the Israelites go immediately upon leaving Egypt?
Into the Wilderness.
That’s where Jesus goes.
And what did God do for the people of Israel in the wilderness?
He provided rest for them from their slavery.
Jesus takes the disciples into the wilderness for rest.
What else did God provide?
He gave them manna for food every day.
In this account, Jesus also provides food for the people.
Hey! Jesus is drawing a perfect picture for people if they will just see it.
He is fulfilling the prophecy Moses gave in when he is about to leave the leadership of the people.
He said,
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