“Even Wind and Sea Obey Him”        Dr. Julie Adkins

                 Text: Mark 4:35-41

SERMON

Who then is this?

Bless their hearts, those poor disciples.

They’re really not too bright.

Just can’t quite figure the whole thing out.

And Mark especially, of all the four gospel writers,

            really seems to enjoy

                        making them look dumb.

Well, who knows, maybe they were,

            but Mark seems to take a particular pleasure in writing it all down

                        so that his readers years later would also know it!

At any rate,

            here are the twelve,

                        in the boat with Jesus,

                        and a storm comes up.

And they’re really scared,

            so they wake up poor tired Jesus,

                        who after a long day is asleep in the midst of the storm,

                        while the boat tosses on the waves,

                                    and they say “Don’t just lie there snoring; do something!”

So, he does something.

And . . . they’re surprised??!

Like, they woke him up,

            but they didn’t really think

                        he would be able to help?

So when he does, it just floors them.

Who is this, they murmur among themselves.

Even the wind and the sea obey him.

  

And what does it mean,

            that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Apparently, up until this moment,

            the disciples have thought of Jesus as just a teacher.

A wise teacher, to be sure.

And yes, he had performed some healings,

            so he clearly had great spiritual authority.

Because after all, if you believe that

            sickness is caused by sin,

                        or by evil forces, or demons,

            then it wouldn’t be too startling

                        that a spiritual leader could heal people.

But to make a storm be still?

No one had seen the likes of that

            since Moses officiated at the parting of the Red Sea.

Who is this?  the disciples ask.

He’s not just a wise teacher and spiritual leader.

Even the wind and the sea obey him.

  

That’s where we often get hung up too, isn’t it?

Things would be so much easier

            if Jesus were just a teacher.

One among many from whom we could choose,

            to model our life after.

That way, anything he taught that we didn’t like,

            well, we wouldn’t have to listen to that.

We could find another teacher

            who suited us better on that particular issue,

                        and follow that one instead.

But we can’t dismiss quite that easily

            someone whom even the wind and the sea obey.

  

And of course, the truth is,

            lots of times, we don’t want to dismiss him.

There are all sorts of times

            when it is tremendously comforting to know

                        that the one who can calm the winds and the sea

                        is one who loves us and is always there for us.

Not “for us” in the sense of

            always taking our side against

                        anyone who disagrees with us . . . !

but “for us” in the sense that Christ loves us,

            sticks with us, prays for us,

                        wants and works for what is best for us.

There is great comfort to be found in knowing

            that the power of God works on our behalf.

And, of course, it’s easy enough to think of times

            when we have forgotten that we know that!

Like the disciples in the boat,

            we may get panicky when a storm comes up,

                        literally or figuratively,

            and we cry out,

                        “Lord, I’m perishing here!

                        Don’t you even care?”

Perhaps we learn that we have a serious illness,

            or a loved one dies,

                        our marriage goes sour,

            a best friend moves away,

                        we get laid off from our job,

            our home is destroyed by flood or fire or tornado.

And at that moment,

            Jesus seems to be asleep on his cushion,

                        along for the ride,

                                    but not really paying attention.

So that when he awakes,

            his first words seem rather harsh.

“Why are you afraid?” he says.

            “Have you no faith?”

Excuse us, Lord, but the boat was sinking,

            and we were starting to get a little worried.

Excuse me, Lord, perhaps you weren’t paying attention,

            but the doctor just came in here

                        and told me I have cancer.

Gee, Lord, sorry to disappoint you,

            but I really don’t know

                        how I’m going to feed my family

                                    on just this unemployment check.

  

And yet, his question is a valid one,

            perhaps even more so for us

                        that for the twelve disciples,

            since we have the benefit of some knowledge

                        they didn’t yet have.

Why are you afraid?

            Have you no faith?

It is a good question.

Because, even though we all know

            that our faith won’t prevent

                        bad things or sad things

                                    from happening in our lives . . .

            our faith can keep us from falling to pieces

                        when those things inevitably happen.

If we worship a Lord whom

            even the winds and sea obey,

                        what need do we have for being fearful?

Or as Paul said it, if God be for us,

            who – or what — can be against us?

  

Now having said all that,

            let me also say that I know

                        this is one of the ideals of our faith

                                    that most of us never quite master.

We never quite get all the way to

            trusting God completely

                        to work all things for good,

            and letting go of our fears.

Confession time:

I know that I . . .

            and this is really stupid . . .

            but if my checkbook is on empty

                        before the end of the month,

                                    I worry.

It doesn’t matter if I have paid all the bills for the month already,

            it doesn’t matter that I know there is money in the savings account

if I really need it . . .

If it’s – June 23, let’s say,

            and the paycheck is already spent,

                        I get fearful!

Stupid, but true.

And furthermore, I know that if my doctor came into the room

            and said to me,

                        “I’m sorry, but you have cancer,

                        and we need to begin treatment immediately,”

            I’d be scared out of my wits.

Have I no faith?!

Of course I do!

But there’s not a one of us

            who couldn’t do with more.

  

Once upon a time:

There was a man who had a dry well on his piece of property,

and for some reason or another he needed to get down to the bottom of it.

His friends had a long rope –

They had measured it, and they assured him

            that it was long enough to get him safely down

                        to the bottom of the well.

So they lowered the rope, and held onto the end,

            and he climbed down carefully, and . . . nothing!

He let himself down as far as he could,

and stretched his toes down as far as they would reach . . .

            nothing there.

So he thought, okay; they just didn’t measure right.

            No problem.  I’ll climb back out and we’ll try again later.

But he was so tired from climbing down,

            that he discovered he couldn’t make any progress back up the rope.

He shouted, but his friends couldn’t hear him.

And so he just hung there for a long time,

            desperate and afraid,

                        clinging to that rope.

His arms ached.  His hands burned.

It seemed like forever.

Finally, he was just too tired.

He decided that his time must be up.

And so he let go, expecting that he would fall

            and be smashed against the rocks below.

Instead, he dropped a couple of inches

            and landed, standing up,

                        at the bottom of the well.

  

Are we spending all our energy

            just hanging on fearfully?

Or barely staying afloat?

Have we no faith?

Even the wind and the sea obey our Lord.

Let us trust God’s goodness,

            let go of our fear,

                        and go forth to serve in joy.

Amen.

 

© 2003 Julie Adkins (e-mail: DrJAdkins@trinitypresdallas.org)