Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Mark 4:35-41
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  June 27, 2021

Tom and Mary were terrified. They had just gotten back from the doctor who said that Mary had cancer. What were they going to do? They thought of all the things that could happen. Even with health insurance, the expense of her treatments would be steep. It could wipe out all the money they had saved to retire on. Could she stand to go through the pain of surgery and therapy? What would they say to the grandchildren when Grandma’s hair fell out? And what if she died, what would Tom do without her? Tom and Mary thought about the details, all the little things, but what scared them most was a feeling of helplessness. The doctors had little or no control of the cancer, all they could give were chances, not certainties. The only thing they were sure of was that this storm had just begun.

Erica and Adam were scared too, but for a different reason. Their marriage was on the rocks. Communication had broken down. Their constant yelling was not good for the kids. A week before Erica had taken the kids and moved out. And now here they were, sitting together outside of the pastor’s office for marriage counseling. They would have given anything to be somewhere else. The surroundings were peaceful, but inside their souls were in turmoil. Oddly enough, even though they both wanted to fix their marriage, they felt helpless. They didn’t even know where to start. This wasn’t supposed to happen to a faithful Christian couple, was it? They sat silently, helplessly waiting for the session to begin.

We have another example today which demonstrates that it is easy to fear what we cannot control. Being caught in open water in the midst of a storm, Jesus’ disciples were genuinely afraid.  Their fishing boat was about to be swamped. Their lives were in the balance, and, try as they might to control the boat, there was nothing they could do to save themselves.

Which makes them even more surprised when they look and see Jesus was asleep (on a cushion no less, Mark notes, adding to the contrast between Jesus’ tranquility and the disciples’ panic), apparently oblivious to their pending doom. So they wake him up and cry, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to drown?” (v. 38). And I think that’s a pretty telling question, isn’t it? If you really boil it down, they wake Jesus up and they ask him, “Don’t you care about us?” The truth is, this is the question we all ask in moments of helplessness and uncertainty. “God, don’t you care about me?” Don’t you care about my health? Why did you allow me to become sick! Jesus, don’t you care about my marriage? Why are we struggling so much? Jesus, don’t you care about my faith? How come I can’t stop this addiction? Jesus, don’t you care about this country, are you aware of what’s going on? Don’t you care about my finances, my future, my children, and the list goes on. Instead of trusting him and praying for his strength, his wisdom, his mercy, his patience, his purpose, we often simply cry out, “Don’t you care about me?” Almost accusing God of being asleep on the job…which is exactly what the disciples must have thought of Jesus as he snoozed peacefully as they were frantically bailing water.

Listen to how Jesus responds:  Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still lack faith?” Notice how Mark records the miracle, but it isn’t the main focus of this section. The climax of this account isn’t the raging sea that instantly settles into a placid calm, but the questions of Jesus which cut right to the heart of the problem. Why were they so afraid?  What was the cause of their fear?  The storm? No, it was deeper than that. “Do you still lack faith?”  he asked. Here’s the real problem. They only woke Jesus up because they thought he could grab a pail and lend a hand, not because they had faith that he could actually still the storm…

Our lives are filled with storms. There are many things that suddenly blow into our lives and completely disrupt them. But the one thing they all have in common is that we often feel that we have absolutely no control over them. We have no control over when the economy will tank, or a fellow student begins to pick on us. We have no control over where a drunk person is driving, or when a cancerous cell starts dividing. But when the fear begins to swell, Jesus wants you to dial in and consider his question: “Why am I so afraid?” Is it just outside factors or is it deeper. I think you’ll come to the same conclusion and confession, “Lord, forgive my lack of faith in you.” Part of our fear is due to a lack of faith in God. In the midst of life’s storms we are frightened because we have lost control (as if we ever really possessed it!). But if in our panic, we’d take a moment to look at who is with us, we wouldn’t wonder whether he cares, we’d be comforted because of his control. 

Really, the most amazing thing in this account to me, isn’t that Jesus calmed the wind and waves, that’s right in line with who he is and I know he can do far greater things. The part that’s most amazing to me is that he chose to get into that boat with them! In fact, he was the reason they were out there. Think of the implications of verse 35: “On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”: The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ, knew the storm was coming and yet he wanted to go on the water. The Lord himself doesn’t cause sin in our lives, but he does have a good purpose even in the worst of storms. Know that there is a reason and a promise in your storm too, because Jesus wanted to go to the other side with you. He himself is in the boat. He is there in the hardest moments. And you know what, when everyone else is freaking out, Jesus is sleeping. 

Think about that: Storms don’t worry Jesus. He’s right there with us during them, but he’s perfectly calm about them. He isn’t terrified; he isn’t impatient; he isn’t worried. The not-so-obvious lesson is that Jesus was just as much in control, and the disciples were just as safe in his hands, while he was asleep as while he was awake. Take heart in knowing that Jesus was sleeping peacefully because he was that confident in his power and his plan. Just imagine what peace the disciples would have had if they had turned to Jesus earlier? Sometimes it seems like God is sleeping, doesn’t it? But Jesus is in control during your storms, even despite appearances. And if you have faith to believe it then just like the wind and the waves you can listen to his voice saying: “Peace, Be Still.” Life’s howling horrors will quiet and a stillness will descend on your heart. You will have a peace this world cannot touch. For you know, however rough the waves get, Jesus is with you. He didn’t just cross over with his disciples. He crossed from heaven to earth, from death to life, from sin to righteousness. He’s the one who gave his life to forgive your sins and rose from the dead to bring you to heaven. If there’s one certainty in all the world, it’s that Jesus cares for you. He’s always been faithful and he will be again. Even if it looks like he’s sleeping, God’s got this! 

That brings me to the disciples’ reaction:  They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” While studying the text, I noticed one thing that is interesting, the same word for fear is used twice in this short story. It is used when the disciples are afraid of the storm but is also used in verse 41. And here it is “a great fear” translated as “awe” that they had at Jesus. In other words, they went from fearing the storm, to greatly fearing Jesus. That is the key to peace in the midst of a storm. Being more in awe of Jesus than you are afraid of your problems. Being more enraptured with the grace of God, preoccupied with his love and promises, than you are fearful of your storm. Being more focused on his Word and Sacrament, then on what if, or should, or could happen. 

Focus on Jesus, he has good purposes in a storm. Even yours. You may feel out of control, but he isn’t. He’s not worried, he’s sleeping like a baby! Contrary to popular belief: God’s Got This! 

Amen.