BIAY - Mark 10 - Red Sky

Imagine this was the sunrise you saw one morning.  Would it bring to mind a famous saying?  Red sky at morning, sailors take warning?  Red sky at night, sailor’s delight?  I don’t know if that statement is really true or not but it came to my heart with this photo and the reading from Mark 10 this morning.  Somewhat like the end of Matthew 28, there’s a really interesting combination of emotions here in Mark 10:32

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.

Mark 10:32

They (the disciples presumably) were amazed and those who followed were afraid.  The greek words are “thambeo” and “phobeo.” It is interesting to me how these two groups of people can have such seemingly widely divergent feelings.  Same thing with this photo - if you go by the old saying, this is a sky to be afraid of.  But, for me, I thought it was a really unique and beautiful sunrise.  Same sky, different responses.  

Or maybe they aren’t that much different.  There’s a fine line of when something can go from amazing to being frightening.  In the Bible, it speaks often of the “fear of the Lord.”  This fear is, at the same time, a legit fear of one who has a power beyond what any of us can imagine and can also be a deep sense of awe and reverence.  Both at the same time.   That’s one of the beautiful things about the Christian story - that God is at the same time above and beyond and totally other but also relatable and personal and in our midst.