Have you ever wondered why the disciples were afraid? I had never really given that question much thought before, mostly because the answer is right before us, right? The disciples were afraid because there was a terrible storm! Well, there certainly was a big storm and that would be a cause for fear in the hearts of any who found themselves in a simple fishing boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. But, the thing is, many of the disciples were fishermen. They practically lived on the Sea of Galilee. They most certainly would have encountered storms in their work on the Sea before, so why are they so afraid now, this is really nothing new?
What about you? Have you ever been in a familiar situation and yet found yourself fearful? I think this happens to us a lot; maybe when we step into the hospital to check on a sick relative or to undergo some kind of surgery. Or perhaps we get a little overwhelmed on the first day of school, even though we’ve been going to the school for several years. I must admit that often, before I set out on a new venture for God, I have a stormy feeling of anxiety and fear in my gut. “What if this is a failure?” I might worry. “What if people don’t respond, or show up, or whatever…”
I think that’s one of the things that plays into the problem with the disciples and the storm on the Sea of Galilee. It’s a familiar setting, fishermen in a boat on the Sea. And they must have encountered storms before. So it seems that there’s probably something more contributing to the disciples’ fear here. When Jesus tells his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake,” this command was about more than just a change of scenery, because on the other side of that sea was Gentile territory. And this was Jesus’ and the disciples’ first mission trip into a land that almost any Jew of that day would have considered a dangerous and even inappropriate place to go. And so as we read the story of the mighty storm at sea, I wonder if these veteran fishermen weren’t just as afraid of where they were heading as they were about the storm itself.
But Jesus wasn’t afraid. In fact, Jesus was fast asleep! And when the disciples, in a panicked frenzy, wake Jesus up, the question foremost on their minds is, “Don’t you care?” Don’t you care, Jesus, about this terrible storm? Don’t you care that we are scared out of our minds? Don’t you care that we might diiieeee??? Knowing that these disciples have likely encountered such storms at sea before, the whole scene suddenly seems quite ridiculous, doesn’t it? It’s like the little child who falls and scrapes his knee. And the way he cries out and carries on for the next hour or so, you would think the world was coming to an end! And so it seems with the disciples. But Jesus keeps things in perspective as he calmly rebukes the wind and waves into submission. And then he turns the question on the disciples. The disciples’, “Don’t you care?” is answered with a simple, “Don’t you have faith?”
It seems so basic. A very simple question, and yet it stands at the heart of Christian discipleship. Faith gives us the courage to weather the storms. Faith builds confidence in our ability to venture into foreign territory. Faith brings hope. And I do believe that the more we venture out with Jesus; the more we take the chance with Christ to cross into new territory and new ministry to serve new and more people, the less afraid of this sort of thing we become, and the more peace that floods our souls! For we learn that when we are living within the will of God, there really is nothing to be afraid of. And if we fail? Well, we weren't doing this for our sake in the first place anyway, right? So Jesus can calm storms, both the literal kind with rain and wind, and the kind that stir up inside of our hearts and minds. But at the same time, he calls on us to have faith.
I think one of the awesome things about this story of Jesus and the disciples on the stormy sea is that it reminds us that even the most tenuous faith is life-changing. In the face of this great storm, the experienced fishermen are completely helpless, so they turn to Jesus; presumably because of the powers he has shown in healing sick people and casting out demons. He is their only hope, and so in fear and desperation, with just a hint of faith, they wake Jesus with an accusatory plea: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” It is a cry we have all uttered at some point in our lives, is it not? In the face of natural disasters, hurricanes, tsunamis, and floods; the tragedies caused by terrorist attacks, war, and inexplicable acts of violence; the pain of illness, grief, and the various kinds of personal suffering, we often cry out to God, “Do you not care, God? Do you not care that we are perishing?” Yet, it is only when we have articulated these feelings—and even the anger beneath them—that we can be still and listen for a word from God; a word that will calm the storm, a word that will “make things better.” But again, it takes faith.
Questions about fear and faith will plague the disciples throughout Mark’s gospel. The story of the storm here early in Mark’s gospel sets the tone for the disciples’ time with Jesus, and even ours too. Faith always needs to grow. And here, with the fear of this horrible storm still gripping them, the question lies before all disciples on the boat after they have witnessed a horrific storm calmed by the words of Jesus: will you exercise faith or fear?
It’s a question that needs to be asked not just as we weather the storms of life, but also as we venture into foreign territory. Part of being a disciple of Christ is that we are called to be different from the world, and to make the world a different and better place, a place that looks more like God’s kingdom. And that means we have to do things no one else wants to do. We have to go places no one else wants to go. We have to work in those places around the world and in our own communities that don’t reflect the values and traits of God’s kingdom. It means, that we have to “go into Gentile territory,” if you will.
Now, consider for a moment how we typically respond when someone asks us to take on something new, or to begin work in a new place. The sequence of events usually goes something like this: First we balk. Then we retort, “Well! We’ve never done it that way before!” And then we start making excuses. “Those people don’t look like us; not to mention the fact that they’re dirty, and they’re probably addicts too. The state should be taking care of those kids, where are their parents, anyway? I can hardly take care of my own family, and now you want me to help someone else out too?!?”
Sound familiar? Believe me when I say, if I haven’t actually articulated such things myself, I’ve certainly at least thought them at times. But the thing is, those are responses of fear. Those are the responses of people who are not living for Christ, but living for themselves. Such are the responses of people who are completely self-reliant and unable to believe there is a greater force at work, a person and a power which is already busy changing and re-creating this world in which we live.
And that’s what this story of the great storm at sea is about. What do we know about storms? We know that there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop them. It’s like trying to hold back the ocean with a broom; nothing we can do will stop that storm from coming a wreaking havoc. But if we have faith in the Creator God, the Lord of the land and the sea, the God who loves us so much that he sent us his Son, then the limits of our own power do not matter because there is a greater power working with us; the Lord who can stand with confidence on the listing boat and calm the wind and the waves with a few simple words. And if Christ can do that, how much more can he do in this world if we only have faith in him, if we only allow him to work through us; if we only trust and believe that he is with us through it all.
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, a photographer snapped a photo which captured the devastation of a cemetery in the historic district of New Orleans; trees were toppled, debris covered the ground, and several burial vaults were broken and smashed. But in the middle of the devastation, untouched by the storm, stands a statue of the risen Christ, arms extended wide, offering a benediction of calm amid the chaos.
My friends, we live in a world in turmoil. Everyday people are engulfed by the storms of life. All around us is chaos and devastation. At times, it seems, things are so bad that it’s hard to believe that a good God created this world with all its terror and violence. So the question for us today is how will we respond. Are we going to hunker down in fear? Or in our fear will we call on the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth and have faith that he can, does, and will continue to make a difference? We’ve already experienced that difference in some ways, haven’t we? We’ve celebrated the miracle of life after cancer or heart disease. People who, in great fear and trembling, first entered Mustard Tree Ministries over a year ago to feed the homeless now know that they wouldn’t be anywhere else on the second Thursday night of each month. Friends who were once skeptical of Christianity now speak of their dreams to serve in Christian mission!
Indeed, Christ is at work calming the storms of this world. And in the midst of that work, Christ has called us to go with him. He has called us to the “other side,” to “Gentile territory.” We cannot be content with the status quo any longer. We can’t continue to live in fear and make excuses. We must go with Christ, and we must go in faith. We have to walk right into the midst of the turmoil; the turmoil of our own lives, the turmoil of our community, the turmoil of this world. And when we find ourselves in the heart of that storm, we have to believe that Christ stands with us, a calming presence, speaking a word of peace, ordering the chaos, and bringing the kingdom of heaven right into our midst!
Such is faith! So may it be.
