Mark 4:35-41. Jesus calms the storm! 21/6/09
{35) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." {36} Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. {37} A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. {38} Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" {39} He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. {40} He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" {41} They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
Here this week we have another important message, which builds on the truth that we heard last week. As we think and look at how we live and grow as God’s people, we are to be ever aware that it is first and foremost what God does that helps us to be the people that we need to be. Because he gives life and growth we are to constantly look to him to give us what is required for our Christian life.
So often, we are tempted to think, and are told, that it is up to us; we have to work on and do what is required. And too often, we think we can do it on our own; we have got life in our hands and so set about living as we would like. Then what do we find? We just can’t do it. It doesn’t work out the way we thought it should. Things go well for a while and then all of a sudden for no apparent reason it all falls apart: some storm or disaster comes along and we are in all kinds of trouble.
Like the disciples in our reading, we sail through life with the idea that everything will or should basically go well for us. She’ll be right, the world is a relatively good place, and we’ll get by. Where it is not, we just need to work harder to overcome the problems that arise. We can handle most things: the disciples were fishermen and so they knew how to handle a boat in all conditions: they trusted in their abilities and so do we.
Today it is even worse, because we think that we are much smarter than people of years gone by. We have a much better education system, and most of us have had the opportunity to be involved in higher studies; so we know how things should work. On top of that, we have the technology and the money to get us through life with ease and comfort. So by and large, we are quite confident that we can handle most things, or given time, money, and knowledge will overcome them. We’ll be right mate. We’ve got it all under control.
The trouble is, that the winds and waves of life sometimes dishes out the unexpected, and then we are left floundering. All our experience and knowledge counts for nothing as the troubles, sickness or death threaten to drown us. Even our technology and money can not get us through those situations and we are left helpless and hopeless. Because we have put all of our confidence in ourselves and the things of this world, we are left stranded.
Then what happens when our world comes crashing down around us? We like the disciples then scream out to whoever is within ear-shot; ‘Don’t you care, that we are in trouble?’ We wallow in our situation, and hope that somebody else may then be able to get us out of our mess, and put us back on track. Or at least they can feel helpless along with us. Our world has fallen apart because the things we have trusted in have let us down, and we have got nowhere else to go.
Sadly, again and again we try to live life by our own thinking and resources and something happens and it all falls apart. We so often fail to first of all consider that because we live in a sinful world, things will time and time again throw difficulties and storms our way. Secondly, and most importantly, all too often we will not look to and trust that God has the where-with-all to get us through.
So today, we need to hear, what this Jesus did, out there on the lake, and at another telling point in history, so that we can have confidence in the very worst of situations. Here on that lake Jesus simply stood up and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. With a simple word, Jesus here did what we with all our knowledge, strength, technology and money cannot do. His simple words controlled the very worst that nature or anything else can throw at us. Yes, even the wind and the waves obey him!
At that, we too, along with the disciples, can only be terrified: ‘Who is this Jesus?’ ‘Who is this one who can even make the wind and the waves obey him?’ Is he just the figment of someone’s imagination; a fairy tale in an old dust-covered book, or is he who he really says he is, and who does have power to even control the wind and the waves? Is he God’s very own Son come into our world to help us out or not?
Let us also remember that at another point in history this very same Jesus, who did miracle after miracle and yes, even told the wind and waves what to do; he allowed himself to be strung up on the cross, and to die. His power and his love meant that he willingly took on himself all of our sins; all of our failures; all of our being less than perfect: our very rebellion against God himself. He took it all on himself, and there on the cross, allowed his Father to punish him for all of our sin, so that we might be forgiven and accepted once again into God’s family. Then he rose again from the dead three days later to be Lord of life and death: and so that we can be sure that we have life and salvation.
“Who is this Jesus?’ He even loved us that much, that he was prepared to take the full brunt of God’s anger against our sin, onto himself, so that we might have forgiveness of sins and the absolute certainty of life and salvation. Here is our saviour who loved us so much that he made sure that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from his love.
To top it all off, he gave us baptism, so that each one of us personally can be incorporated into his love for us: his death and resurrection. So that we can know that he has forgiven us and accepted us into his family. Then he also gave us Holy Communion so that week after week we might receive his very body and blood which he shed on the cross for us, so that we can be sure that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, and that our Lord himself goes with us throughout our lives.
“Who is this Jesus, who has done all of this for us? Surely this is a holy and awesome God, who can do all of this? He has immense power. He has absolute control over all things, so that even the winds and the waves obey him. He created all things and he keeps it all going.
However because we have chosen not to obey him and live in that close loving relationship with him, we have brought all kinds of difficulties and evil into our lives. We now have to suffer many and varied hardships, and we cannot blame them onto God. It is because of our sin that these are part of life for all of us.
But, now we have God’s assurance that he will not let them harm us. He will watch over us, and see to it the nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God. Yes, he will allow difficulties and even disasters to come our way, but he assures us that he is now using them for our good or for the good of others. Even if we should lose everything in earthly terms; even our life; we know that nothing can take away the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that the Lord Jesus has won for us.
So now there is no need for us to be afraid, when even the most difficult of circumstances comes our way. We know that they cannot destroy us. We now can have faith. We can go forward with a confident hope. But now, not in ourselves and the things of this world, but in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for us and continues to do for us. We can trust him in every situation, for we not only know that the wind and the waves obey him, but that he loves us so much that he came into our world to die on the cross for us, so that we may have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation as a guarantee.
‘Who is this Jesus? He is God almighty himself: the second person of the Trinity. He is Lord and Saviour! He is our all important one who we can look up to and trust. He is THE one that we truly can rely on in life, and especially when the going gets tough. So let us put our faith in him alone, and then go forward confidently to live and be the people he wants us to be in the midst of this life.
To God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, alone be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
{35) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." {36} Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. {37} A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. {38} Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" {39} He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. {40} He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" {41} They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
Here this week we have another important message, which builds on the truth that we heard last week. As we think and look at how we live and grow as God’s people, we are to be ever aware that it is first and foremost what God does that helps us to be the people that we need to be. Because he gives life and growth we are to constantly look to him to give us what is required for our Christian life.
So often, we are tempted to think, and are told, that it is up to us; we have to work on and do what is required. And too often, we think we can do it on our own; we have got life in our hands and so set about living as we would like. Then what do we find? We just can’t do it. It doesn’t work out the way we thought it should. Things go well for a while and then all of a sudden for no apparent reason it all falls apart: some storm or disaster comes along and we are in all kinds of trouble.
Like the disciples in our reading, we sail through life with the idea that everything will or should basically go well for us. She’ll be right, the world is a relatively good place, and we’ll get by. Where it is not, we just need to work harder to overcome the problems that arise. We can handle most things: the disciples were fishermen and so they knew how to handle a boat in all conditions: they trusted in their abilities and so do we.
Today it is even worse, because we think that we are much smarter than people of years gone by. We have a much better education system, and most of us have had the opportunity to be involved in higher studies; so we know how things should work. On top of that, we have the technology and the money to get us through life with ease and comfort. So by and large, we are quite confident that we can handle most things, or given time, money, and knowledge will overcome them. We’ll be right mate. We’ve got it all under control.
The trouble is, that the winds and waves of life sometimes dishes out the unexpected, and then we are left floundering. All our experience and knowledge counts for nothing as the troubles, sickness or death threaten to drown us. Even our technology and money can not get us through those situations and we are left helpless and hopeless. Because we have put all of our confidence in ourselves and the things of this world, we are left stranded.
Then what happens when our world comes crashing down around us? We like the disciples then scream out to whoever is within ear-shot; ‘Don’t you care, that we are in trouble?’ We wallow in our situation, and hope that somebody else may then be able to get us out of our mess, and put us back on track. Or at least they can feel helpless along with us. Our world has fallen apart because the things we have trusted in have let us down, and we have got nowhere else to go.
Sadly, again and again we try to live life by our own thinking and resources and something happens and it all falls apart. We so often fail to first of all consider that because we live in a sinful world, things will time and time again throw difficulties and storms our way. Secondly, and most importantly, all too often we will not look to and trust that God has the where-with-all to get us through.
So today, we need to hear, what this Jesus did, out there on the lake, and at another telling point in history, so that we can have confidence in the very worst of situations. Here on that lake Jesus simply stood up and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. With a simple word, Jesus here did what we with all our knowledge, strength, technology and money cannot do. His simple words controlled the very worst that nature or anything else can throw at us. Yes, even the wind and the waves obey him!
At that, we too, along with the disciples, can only be terrified: ‘Who is this Jesus?’ ‘Who is this one who can even make the wind and the waves obey him?’ Is he just the figment of someone’s imagination; a fairy tale in an old dust-covered book, or is he who he really says he is, and who does have power to even control the wind and the waves? Is he God’s very own Son come into our world to help us out or not?
Let us also remember that at another point in history this very same Jesus, who did miracle after miracle and yes, even told the wind and waves what to do; he allowed himself to be strung up on the cross, and to die. His power and his love meant that he willingly took on himself all of our sins; all of our failures; all of our being less than perfect: our very rebellion against God himself. He took it all on himself, and there on the cross, allowed his Father to punish him for all of our sin, so that we might be forgiven and accepted once again into God’s family. Then he rose again from the dead three days later to be Lord of life and death: and so that we can be sure that we have life and salvation.
“Who is this Jesus?’ He even loved us that much, that he was prepared to take the full brunt of God’s anger against our sin, onto himself, so that we might have forgiveness of sins and the absolute certainty of life and salvation. Here is our saviour who loved us so much that he made sure that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from his love.
To top it all off, he gave us baptism, so that each one of us personally can be incorporated into his love for us: his death and resurrection. So that we can know that he has forgiven us and accepted us into his family. Then he also gave us Holy Communion so that week after week we might receive his very body and blood which he shed on the cross for us, so that we can be sure that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, and that our Lord himself goes with us throughout our lives.
“Who is this Jesus, who has done all of this for us? Surely this is a holy and awesome God, who can do all of this? He has immense power. He has absolute control over all things, so that even the winds and the waves obey him. He created all things and he keeps it all going.
However because we have chosen not to obey him and live in that close loving relationship with him, we have brought all kinds of difficulties and evil into our lives. We now have to suffer many and varied hardships, and we cannot blame them onto God. It is because of our sin that these are part of life for all of us.
But, now we have God’s assurance that he will not let them harm us. He will watch over us, and see to it the nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God. Yes, he will allow difficulties and even disasters to come our way, but he assures us that he is now using them for our good or for the good of others. Even if we should lose everything in earthly terms; even our life; we know that nothing can take away the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that the Lord Jesus has won for us.
So now there is no need for us to be afraid, when even the most difficult of circumstances comes our way. We know that they cannot destroy us. We now can have faith. We can go forward with a confident hope. But now, not in ourselves and the things of this world, but in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for us and continues to do for us. We can trust him in every situation, for we not only know that the wind and the waves obey him, but that he loves us so much that he came into our world to die on the cross for us, so that we may have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation as a guarantee.
‘Who is this Jesus? He is God almighty himself: the second person of the Trinity. He is Lord and Saviour! He is our all important one who we can look up to and trust. He is THE one that we truly can rely on in life, and especially when the going gets tough. So let us put our faith in him alone, and then go forward confidently to live and be the people he wants us to be in the midst of this life.
To God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, alone be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
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