Lord of the Storm (Mar.15. 09)

Mark M5 March 15, 2009

Title: Lord of the Storm

Text: Mark 4:35-41

Big Idea: God’s love and power are present to us in our storm.

It all seemed so promising. Michael Plant (show photo) had sailed through hurricanes, dodged icebergs, fought six-story high waves, and even survived capsizing in a storm with 45-foot waves in the Indian Ocean.

He was North America’s most accomplished single-handed offshore sailor and, after three daring previous sails, Mike Plant was now starting with his new sailboat.

His 60-foot yacht, The Coyote, was designed to race nonstop around the world – a circumnavigation of nearly 24,000 miles in one of the most demanding sea races ever conceived.

Michael set sail alone out of the New York harbor.He needed to cross the North Atlantic to meet his deadline at Les Sables d’Olonne, France, about 3,200 miles away for the start for his fourth solo round the world sailing race. He pressed his new boat hard into an oncoming storm. Radio contact with him was lost and then about a month later Michael Plant’s sailboat, The Coyote, was found upside down in the water. Sailboats don’t normally capsize so why would Michael Plant’s sailboat be discovered floating in the Atlantic upside down? In order for a sailboat to maintain a steady course, there must be more weight below the waterline (show photo—use pointer to explain) than above it—any violation of this principle will spell disaster. An 8000-pound weight that was fastened to the keel of Plant’s boat broke away, causing the boat to have more weight above the waterline than below it. When the first threatening wind or wave came along, the boat capsized.

There are times in life when we will sail into a storm. We may find ourselves struggling in school or in our job or out of job, or experiencing pain because of a relationship, or the loss of a loved one, or loss of our innocence.

Today, we’re going to look at how the “sailboat of our lives” can receive the weight to keep us from capsizing in the storm.

Please turn in your Bibles to Mark 4:35

Jesus Calms the Storm

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!"

In our text we see how evening had come and Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” They were planning to cross the Sea of Galilee. Leaving the crowd behind, we read that the students of Jesus took him in the boat. We also read that there were other boats with him.

These details may seem insignificant, but they play an important role in this story for us. How so?

The details show us that this incident on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm actually happened. Commentators point out that if we did not have details, such as “there were other boats with him,” a reader might assume that this story is simply a legend.

But, if we are familiar with the writing genres of Jesus’ day, the details will lead us to conclude that this passage in Mark 4 must be an eye-witness account.

Today, of course, we are very familiar with the genre of the novel where authors use their imagination to invent details. This kind of modern fiction writing, where an author might imagine details of how a harbor with boats docked would look, was simply not something that was present in Jesus’ day. Scholars point out that if this story was being “made up” the author would not include such unnecessary details, such as “there were also other boats with Jesus.”

It is also noteworthy that Mark’s Gospel is the earliest of the Gospels. This is significant, because this account would have been between 30 and 40 years after this incident had happened, likely around 67 A.D. This means that, at the time this gospel was written, there would still be people alive who would have been in a position to refute this story if the story was simply made up. If this story was simply made up, when this story was written and circulated, people would have stood up and said, “I was part of the crowd when Jesus climbed into the boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. I can tell you that this storm and the calming of the sea never happened,” and the Gospel of Mark would never have been accepted.

If I wanted to invent a story, where I was planning to say at some point in the future, “On March 15 2009, I didn’t need to take a ferry to get to Vancouver Island. I could just walk on water to get there,” I would do well to wait more than 40 years before I started circulating that story because, if I only waited 40 years, there would be people here who could refute that story and say, “We never saw it happen and we were alive at the time.”

So this story in Mark 4 actually happened.

Jesus is with his disciples on the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Suddenly a storm breaks out. The Sea of Galilee was especially susceptible to sudden violent storms.

The Sea of Galilee lies nearly 700 feet below sea level in a basin surrounded by mountains that are especially steep on the east side. Thirty miles north-east of the Sea of Galilee is Mt. Hermon which rises 9,200 feet above sea level. As the cold air comes off Mt. Hermon and clashes with the warm air which rises over the Sea of Galilee, great storms are produced. The word in our text translated “Furious squall” in original text Greek can mean “hurricane.”

To this day, in fact, cars parked on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee have signs warning drivers of what can happen during high winds. The sea can get rough very quickly, and big waves can swamp cars parked on what looked like a safe beach.

We know that this storm must have been a furious one. How so? The word describing the storm, as we said, can be translated “hurricane.” We also read in verse 38 that the disciples, who are experienced, rugged fishermen, wake Jesus up, who is sleeping on a pillow, and say to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Fishermen, particularly those who fished on the Sea of Galilee, expected the unexpected at sea. They would have been used to all kinds of storms, but apparently this storm was so ferocious that these experienced fishermen thought that they were going to die. They wake Jesus. Jesus gets up, rebukes the wind and says to it, “Quiet! Be still” or “Quiet! Stay Quiet.” And then the wind died down immediately and the sea became completely calm.

We know that something supernatural happens here, because not only does the wind die when Jesus speaks, which theoretically could have been coincidence—but the sea also immediately becomes as calm as glass.

When you are out at sea, and the waves are huge, such that you are afraid that you might be completely submerged by them, the wind can calm down, but it takes some time for the waves to subside. But as soon as Jesus speaks here, not only does the wind completely cut out, but the sea becomes instantly calm—like the early morning glass you sometimes see on the surface of a lake—and if you are a water-skier makes you want to water ski.

The text tells us that the disciples were afraid when the sea was raging because of the storm.

But in verse 41, after Jesus says to the wind and the waves,“Quiet. Be still.” and they obey him, we read in verse 41 that his disciples were terrified, and that they were even more afraid: “Who is this that even the winds and the waves obey him!”

In Jesus’ day the people believed that the sea represented dark power, a sinister beast with the capacity to destroy God’s creation, God’s people, and even God’s purposes. The Jews of Jesus’ day believed that only God could still the storm—only God could calm the sea.

So what does this story tell us? One of things this story tells us is that storms happen. In the movie Forrest Gump he coined a similar phrase when running and stepping on some doo doo, not “storms happen,” but “S_____ happens.” Storms happen.

As we see in the story, sometimes Jesus doesn’t deliver us from the storm, but through the storm.

C. S. Lewis wrote of Aslan, the lion figure who represents Jesus in The Chronicles of Narnia, “He is not safe. But he’s good, I tell you.”

Storms will erupt in our lives, and if you have never been through any kind of storm, it probably just means that you haven’t lived that long. Don’t worry. If you live long enough, you won’t be left out.

Jesus knows that this storm is coming. Apparently, he is not planning to do anything to prevent it, as such. How do we know that? Because Jesus falls asleep before storm erupts. It is not like he just happens to fall asleep. He plans to fall asleep. How do we know that? Because in verse 38, we read that Jesus was in the stern, in the back of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. When you are in an airplane, and you ask the flight attendant, “May I have a pillow?” you are planning to sleep. Jesus apparently had asked for a pillow because he was planning to sleep.

There are times when storms will happen, and God will allow us to go through them.

This storm, with hurricane intensity, causes the waves to break over the boat so that it is almost swamped, the disciples wake Jesus up and say,“Don’t you care if we drown?” There are times when we will experience the kind of storm that will make us look up at God and ask, “Don’t you care?” There are times when we will go through some type of hurricane-like experience, and we will wonder, “God, don’t you care? Are you asleep?”

In this time of economic crisis people have lost their jobs; others are afraid that they will lose theirs. Some of those people are asking God, “Don’t you care? Are you asleep?” People lose their health, a relationship that is important to them, a loved one and they wonder, “God, don’t you care?”

And often we don’t understand why we are going through a storm. A couple of months ago we took our son Joe in to get some of his shots. When Terry, the nurse, pulled out the needle, before she even stuck it in his leg, he turned and looked at us and screamed in anticipation of what was going to happen. It was actually funny because we knew that he wasn’t old enough, as far as we knew, to anticipate what was going to happen with that shiny, sharp needle. Terry paused. He stopped screaming, and then she stuck it in that thigh. He screamed again. Then he looked back at us with a look, as if to say, “I thought I could trust you…?!!!? Don’t you care!!” in so far as a 6 or 7 month baby can. Of course, we do care for him and that was the reason why we were taking him in for shots (and why we have allowed our lives to be so thoroughly disrupted by what John Gottman calls, “A grenade going off in our lives”).

But Joe doesn’t understand that he needs these shots for his health and protection. And sometimes we have no idea why God allows us to go through storms.

Jesus asks his students in their panic in the storm, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Or, to translate it in another way, “Where is your faith?”

Sometimes we do sense that God is working out some kind of larger purpose in a storm.

I recently received an email from Suzy Welch a columnist who writes for Oprah’s magazine.

She wrote:

I am in the middle of writing an article about the possible emotional and cultural upside of the "great reinvention" that our economy is currently undergoing. It's just that I've found in so many small conversations lately that people are experiencing a meaningful rearrangement of their priorities and rediscovering what really matters to them. Of course, I am not suggesting that there has not been terrible pain and loss along with the economy's collapse, and maybe I am just an unfettered optimist, but I sense there is a larger purpose in this event.

A number of people, I have talked with have said, both in the US and Canada, that while the economic storm is awful, it is helping them re-center on what is most important.

Sometimes after you go through something hard, and in looking back you have a clearer idea as to why you went through something. One of the most difficult storms I went through was breaking up with a girlfriend. It was a very painful breakup. At the time it just felt like a dark winter--without Christmas. I couldn’t see any good in what was happening, but now, now looking back, frankly, I can see exactly how we were not compatible, how our relationship would be a disaster waiting to happen and how I am now with someone now who is so much a better fit. Now I see that my ex-girlfriend is with someone who is a much better fit for her. I am deeply grateful.

But there are times when we go through something and we don’t know why we are going through it. In some future time, at least in our lifetime, when we look back, and we may not see exactly why God allowed that to happen. Donna Gardner, a member of this community, as we know, recently lost her husband in a sudden and unexpected way. Adam and Erin, Donna and Stu’s young adult children, lost their father. He was a young 66. We don’t know why—we know why medically, but we don’t know why, he’s gone.

When we don’t know why, that can be the hardest, most painful storm of all.

Early in our marriage, Sakiko and I lost a baby through an unforeseeable pregnancy complication. It was painful. We didn’t know why then; and we don’t know why today.

What can help our sailboat stay afloat in the storms of life? One is trusting in the love that Jesus Christ has for us.

When we are in a storm, and we don’t know why we are tempted to panic and be anxious, Jesus may ask us gently, “Where is your faith?” In those times when we go through pain and storms and we don’t why, what we can do is to focus on what we do know.


We may not know why this painful thing is happening, but we can exercise faith and remind ourselves that we are deeply loved by God. Many of us can point to things that we are aware of that are demonstrations of God’s love for us and his power to deliver us, and we can draw faith from those experiences.

Many commentators point out the parallels between this passage, where Jesus and his disciples go through a storm and the story of Jonah. In both Jonah’s story and this story, Jonah and Jesus are on a boat with others and a storm that suddenly breaks out. And with both the story of Jonah and this story, the protagonists Jonah and Jesus are asleep on the boat. In both of these stories the others on the boat come to Jonah and Jesus, and say, “We are about to perish. We are about to lose our lives. Do something!” In both the story of Jonah and this story, there is a miraculous intervention by God. The people are saved. In both Jonah’s and Jesus’ stories, as a result of God’s miraculous intervention calming the storm, the sailors are in awe of God’s power.

When the storm is raging on the Mediterranean Sea and the sailors come to Jonah, and say, “What should we do?” Jonah says, “Throw me into the raging sea. If I die, you will live.” And they do so, and the sea becomes suddenly calm. Jesus says, “I am the true Jonah, the one whom Jonah points to.”

As Jonah allowed himself to face the storm…the waves… death… to save those sailors, so Jesus Christ, in going to the cross, faced storm and the waves of sin and death, so that we could be set free…so that we could really live.

To the extent that we understand that deeply in our hearts that we are loved by God, we will be able to face the storm.

And to the degree that we understand what God did for us in Jesus Christ, no matter what we are going through, we will know that he cares, even in the storm.

What can help our sailboat stay afloat in the storms of life? One is trusting in the love that Jesus Christ has for us. Another is trusting in his power.

Jesus not only faces the storm of death on the cross, but he rose again. If we believe that Jesus can take our losses and deaths and use them to bring new life, we can face any storm. If we believe that nothing will be wasted in God’s economy of our lives, we can face face any storm. If we believe that Jesus will redeem our losses and pain and use them for his purposes, we can face any storm.

The storm may have been the worst thing the disciples had ever faced, but it also became the greatest thing—because the storm was the place where they met Jesus most deeply. The worst thing in our lives may turn out be the best thing—because in that place of vulnerability and weakness, we experience God’s love most fully. In that place of death we also experience his resurrection, his birthing new life out of death.

What can help our sailboat stay afloat in the storms of life? One is trusting in the love that Jesus Christ has for us. Another is his power, and third the belief that Jesus is with us in our boat. When we are in the storm, we can be tempted to panic or be anxious, but we don’t need to if we know Jesus is in our boat.

Several weeks ago I read an email I had received from Rachel Barkey who has been part of this community in years past. With her permission, I read part of an email from her.

For those who have not yet heard, recently cancer has returned--the cancer has spread to my liver and bones.

There is no cure.

And everyone is wondering "how long" and the truth is, we don't know. It is likely several months but it could be less or it could be more.

This is, by far, the hardest part of this for me: leaving Neil, Quinn and Kate. Serving them is my joy. Loving Neil and helping him has been the most wonderful privilege I could ask for. And being a mother has been a gift that I did not deserve. Quinn and Kate are treasures that were entrusted to me for a time and I am grateful that I was able to be their mother for these years. I struggle, of course, with the knowledge that I will not be there for them for much longer and wonder what life will be like for them without me. But I wrestled with this years ago, as some of you will remember, and was gently reminded that there is One who loves them even more than I do. And so He gently reminds me again.

Here’s an email from this week.

I am essentially bedridden. The pain in my back and constant nausea make it difficult for me to be vertical for more than a few moments of each day.

And so life continues. In a much different way than we expected this spring. We are often sad, of course, but underpinned with a deep and abiding peace and hope. God is with us and we know and treasure His comfort keenly these days. These days, weeks or months are often and will continue to be long and difficult. We find ourselves fumbling about trying to figure out how best to handle these circumstances that we have been given. But we are not alone.

"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deut. 31:8)

And it is true: He has gone before us. We are not alone. And so we are not afraid.

Rachel says we are not alone and so we are not afraid.

We are not alone and so we are not afraid.

Jesus says:

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.


2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.

Jesus says to us, do not fear, I am in your boat and when you pass through the storms of life I will be with you and the waves will not sweep over you. I will see you through.


Benediction:

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.


2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.