Jesus and the Chief: Courage
--Mark 6:45-52
This has been a newsworthy week. On Tuesday, April 10th, it was finally announced that Larry Birkhead is the biological father of Anna Nichole Smith’s baby daughter Dannielynn. Radio-Television shock jock Don Imus’ program “Imus in the Morning” was dropped by MSNBC television on Wednesday, April 11th, and by CBS radio the next day for his course, stabbing, degrading, immoral, vulgar, vile, racial, sexist remarks berating the Rutgers’ Women’s Basketball Team which he made on Wednesday, April 4, 2007.
Due to pressure by the NCAA, a few civil rights organizations speaking for a minority of Native Americans, and even our own United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, Dan Maloney, University of Illinois graduate student who served as Chief Illiniwek XXXVI, performed what appears to be the last half-time dance by the Chief at the Illinois-Michigan basketball game on Wednesday, February 21, 2007, terminating a proud tradition that began at the half-time of the Illinois-Pennsylvania football game played in Philadelphia on October 30, 1926.
A small faction would have us believe that Chief Illiniwek is just as degrading and offensive towards Native Americans as Don Imus’ remarks were towards women and people of color, but is that a fair and just conclusion? Although Chief Illiniwek is not a historical figure, for more than eight decades he has symbolized what is noble, true, and admirable in Native American tradition and, therefore, worthy of emulation by people of all ethnic groups.
The Native American people that originally inhabited what is now our Great State of Illinois spoke a dialect of the Algonquin tribe. Their word “Illiniwek” described “the complete human being—the strong, agile human body; the unfettered human intellect; and the indomitable, or unconquerable human spirit.” [Jim Fay, “The Roots of the Chief Illiniwek Tradition at the University of Illinois” as posted on web site: http://www.chiefilliniwek.org/illinois/tradition-roots.htm.]. Thus our brothers and sisters who preceded us viewed humanity as a trichotomy, not unlike the view held by many Christians that we are endowed by God with body, soul, and spirit.
The name “Illiniwek” first came to be associated with the University of Illinois in the decade of the 1920’s by legendary Illinois football coach Bob Zuppke. “Zup,” as he was called, was head football coach at Illinois from 1913 to 1941. During his tenure the Fighting Illini won four National and seven Big Ten titles. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Zuppke ]. Zuppke was a passionate philosopher and historian; and, despite the fact that he coached great Illinois teams, his primary priority was not in producing winning game plans and developing physically strong teams but in cultivating players of good character [Fay, op. cit.].
A man of high principles, Bob Zuppke emphasized that our American Indian brothers and sisters are worthy role models for us to follow. They uphold noble attributes for us to incorporate in our personal lives. Therefore, from October 1926 through February 2007, Chief Illiniwek has continually been a hallmark of courage, spirit, strength, bravery, honor, and loyalty. These attributes are not only rooted in the traditions of our Native American people and honorably exemplified by Chief Illiniwek, they are characteristics that for centuries have been proclaimed by the prophets of Israel and the Apostles of Jesus for all of God’s people to practice in our daily lives.
Jesus and the Chief call each one of us to live a life of courage. What is courage? John Wayne once said, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.” [--John Wayne, Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 2.]. The Hebrew and Greek terms for courage help us understand and appreciate its meaning. The basic Hebrew meaning behind courage is “strength.” In Greek it primarily means “to be confident or bold.” Courage is the strength and confidence to conquer fear. Courage enables us “to do something that is frightening.”
There are many times we must stand up and face difficult, dangerous circumstances and situations with courage. Examples might include instances of stress, emergencies, persecution, trouble, hardship, misfortune, obstacles, danger, pain, grief, sickness, death, or other challenging times in our lives. In such instances we may be tempted to “throw in the towel,” quit, give up, or even run away from facing the difficult situation.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we keep going, because we know we face our fears in the presence and power of God. The Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle taught that courage could be naturally developed, but God’s Word assures us that it is a gift of His grace which we develop by the aid of the Holy Spirit. We stand on His promises such as Hebrews 13:5-6, “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mortals do to me?” We hear His still, small voice affirming in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” We have courage in every situation because we know God is with us to strengthen, help, and uphold us in all circumstances no matter how difficult or dangerous they may be.
Wayne A. Lamb in 100 Meditations on Hope, shares this story: “In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, ‘Shake me off; I sill have wings.’”
“Because of Christ’s resurrection, every Christian can look all experiences, even death, in the face and confidently say, ‘Shake me off; I still have wings. I’ll live anyway.” [--Wayne A. Lamb in 100 Meditations on Hope. Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no.4].
The great British Baptist pastor Alexander McClaren reminds us, “Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life,’ can say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’” [--Alexander McClaren, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 3. Thomas a Kempis, the 14th century German Catholic monk, wrote in The Imitation of Christ, “He who loves God with all his heart dreads neither death, torment, judgment, nor hell, for perfect love opens a sure passage to God.” [--Thomas a Kempis in The Imitation of Christ. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 3.]. Courage comes in loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
In our Gospel Lesson today the Disciples are afraid when a storm arises on the Sea of Galilee. It is more accurately classified a Lake, for it is only 7 miles long and 13 miles wide. Its “peaceful calm can quickly become transformed by a violent storm. Winds funnel through the east-west aligned Galilee hill country and stir up the waters quickly. More violent are the winds that come off the hills of the Golan Heights to the east. Trapped in the basin, the winds can be deadly to fishermen. A storm in March 1992 sent waves 10 feet high crashing into downtown Tiberius and causing significant damage.” [--http://www.bibleplaces.com/seagalilee.htm].
The disciples were most likely caught in such a storm when Jesus came to them “walking on the water.” The storm was violent, for our text says the disciples were “terrified.” They were not just a little bit nervous or simply have a queasy stomach. In the Greek text it is clear that they were “greatly frightened.” Anyone who is terrified is alarmed in the presence of danger. To be terrified is to experience an overwhelming, even paralyzing fear. This is the state of the disciples as their boat was tossed “to and fro” by the winds and the waves on the Sea of Galilee that evening; soon the boat will capsize and sink. They are going to drown!
Then they see what they first believe is a “ghost,” but it is Jesus. He comes to them and brings courage to their troubled hearts in these reassuring words, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” “It is I” could just as correctly and easily have been translated, “I AM.” In fact Jesus is saying, “Take heart, I AM; do not be afraid.”
Jesus indeed is “The Great I AM” of the Old Testament. We remember from our Resurrection Sunday sermon last week that “I AM is the Personal Name of the God of Israel in the Old Testament. I AM is “the eternal, unchanging, self-existent God.” On a troubled Sea the only true, unchanging, eternal God walked on water into a boat about to capsize and assured twelve terrified disciples, “I AM; take courage; be not afraid.”
In John 16:33 Jesus reassures these same disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” “Take heart” literally means “to be of good courage” and, once more, could have as easily been translated as such.
troubles-- stress, persecution, hardship, pain, misfortune, obstacles, difficulty, obstacles, grief, and even death. Remember His parting words to His followers in Matthew 28:20, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” No matter what storms may come our way, Jesus is with us through all of them. Whatever danger and difficulty may confront us, we “take courage” because in His triumphant death and resurrection Jesus has overcome the world and all its troubles.
Charles Albert Tindley was the son of African American slaves. His Mother died when he was four, and when he was five he was separated from his father. Tindley taught himself to read and write and took night classes in the City of Philadelphia and correspondence courses from Boston University School of Theology. He was ordained an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church and worked his way up from janitor at Philadelphia’s Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church to become its pastor in 1902, a congregation of over 7,000 people which included African Americans, Europeans, Jews, and Hispanics. [Carlton R. Young, Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993), 843.].
As well as being a powerful preacher, Tindley also was a prolific hymn writer of African American Spirituals, one of the greatest of which is “Stand By Me.” Because he personally knew our Risen Lord Jesus, Tindley triumphantly sings:
When the storms of life are raging, stand by me;
When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.
When the world is tossing me, like a ship upon the sea,
Thou who rulest wind and water, stand by me.
In the midst of tribulation, stand by me;
In the midst of tribulation, stand by me.
When the host of hell assail, and my strength begins to fail,
Thou who never lost a battle, stand by me.
In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me;
In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me.
When I’ve done the best I can, and my friends misunderstand,
Thou who knowest all about me, stand by me.
In the midst of persecution, stand by me;
In the midst of persecution, stand by me.
When my foes in war array undertake to stop my way,
Thou who saved Paul and Silas, stand by me.
When I’m growing old and feeble, stand by me;
When I’m growing old and feeble, stand by me.
When my life becomes a burden, and I’m nearing chilly Jordan,
O thou Lily of the Valley, stand by me.
Just as He stood by Charles Albert Tindley in life’s ragging storms, Jesus promises to stand by each of us in all of ours as well.
There is no greater example of courage in all human history than our Lord Jesus. He was courageous throughout His entire ministry and displayed ultimate courage in dying the most horrific death anyone ever suffered, death on a Roman cross.
Jesus still speaks to us as He did to Peter, James, John, and their companions 2000 years ago: “I AM; Be not afraid; In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world. I AM with you always to the end of the age.”
The writer to the Hebrews calls upon us in Hebrews 12:3, “Consider Him who endured such hostility against Himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.” We take courage and do not give up, grow weary, or lose heart, because we look to Jesus, who endured and overcame the ultimate danger, pain, and suffering of death on a cruel Roman Cross, and we remain courageous because we know He has overcome the world.
We honor Chief Illiniwek, who has always been a valiant symbol of courage. The Illini, those strong, courageous original inhabitants of the Great State of Illinois, inspire us to “take courage.” We follow the example of saints from all the ages, coming from all races and both genders, people such as Charles Albert Tindley, who courageously stood through all the storms of life because they “looked to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of their faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarded its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God,” Hebrews 12:2.
First comes the cross then the empty tomb. We each have our personal crosses, but as John Jay Chapman victoriously testifies: “Have plenty of courage. God is stronger than the devil. WE ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE.” [--John Jay Chapman, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 4.]. Our Resurrected Lord is the Source of our courage.
“During World War I, a British commander was preparing to lead his soldiers back to battle. They’d been on furlough, and it was a cold, rainy, muddy day. Their shoulders sagged because they knew what lay ahead of them: mud, blood, possible death. Nobody talked, nobody sang. It was a heavy time.
“As they marched along, the commander looked into a bombed-out church. Back in the church he saw the figure of Christ on the cross. At that moment, something happened to the commander. He remembered the One who suffered, died, and rose again. There was victory, and there was triumph. “As the troops marched along, he shouted out, ‘Eyes right, march!’ Every eye turned to the right, and as the soldiers marched by, they saw Christ on the cross. Something happened to that company of men. Suddenly they saw triumph after suffering, and they took courage. With shoulders straightened, they began to smile as they went. You see, anything worthwhile in life will be a risk that demands courage.”
[--Gordon Johnson, “Finding Significance in Obscurity,” Preaching Today, Tape 82.]
“Take Courage; Jesus--the Great I AM; the only true, unchanging, eternal
God--has overcome the world.”
