July 9, 2006

Pentecost 5

Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called "Ninety-Three." It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.

That is like human life. Storms of life may blow around us, but it is not these exterior storms that pose the gravest danger.  It is the terrible corruption within us which can overwhelm us. The furious storm outside may be overwhelming but what is going on inside can pose the greater threat to our lives!  Our only hope lies in conquering that wild enemy. Unfortunately storms that rage within us cannot be cured by ourselves. It takes the power of God's love, as revealed in Jesus Christ. He is our only hope of stilling the tempest that can harm our souls and cripple our lives.

That’s what the disciples learned that day on the Sea of Galilee. They thought the danger lie outside the boat. They would soon learn the real danger lie within the boat, within their own hearts. In a word, they lacked faith. And without faith, their lives were at risk in the storms which would inevitably come. And come they did and come they will. So what can we learn from this boat ride in the storm?

1. First, we learn that storms can come suddenly!  It had been a memorable afternoon. People had gathered to hear Jesus talk about the Kingdom of God. He told them that the kingdom was like a farmer who went out to sow seeds. He compared the Kingdom to the small mustard seed, which becomes a giant plant. He told many stories, but the day was now fast passing and it was time to depart. Jesus told his disciples they must go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Surely the disciples must have questioned the decision. Why leave now? They were right on the verge of success. Here was where the people were. On the other side are only Gerasenes. They were pagans. But the disciples did as Jesus instructed. They set sail that beautiful afternoon on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, weary from the day’s activity, fell asleep. As the late afternoon faded into dusk, trouble began to loom. The white puffy clouds that dotted the sky were replaced by low hanging, black clouds. The stilled waters began to churn with white caps and then large waves that slammed the side of the tiny boat. The Sea of Galilee was notorious for these sudden and violent squalls. The disciples must have thought that in telling them to cross over, Jesus had led them to their destruction, not their salvation.

Trouble can come just that fast in your life. Everything can be going beautifully, people can be congratulating you; things can be going your way. Then all of a sudden the telephone can ring and everything in your life can be turned upside down. Your medical test results can come back, and all of a sudden you find yourself in the midst of a storm. It doesn’t take long for the storms to come.

Amazingly, as this violent storm was taking place, Jesus was asleep!   When John Wesley was coming to America, he found himself in the middle of a storm. He was frightened to death. He frantically ran around the ship seeking shelter. In the process, he came across a group of Christians who were singing and calmly praying. No fear. No panic. Not even among the children. Wesley could not believe this and he asked the source of their strength. They replied: “We have Jesus as our Savior.”

Storms can come suddenly. The disciples experienced it, and so do we. That is when we go to the stern of the boat and find Jesus asleep. He doesn’t even know that a storm is raging. He can’t even hear the howl of the wind. He doesn’t even feel the waves crashing into the side of the boat. The water splashing all over his face doesn’t disturb him. Doesn’t he care? Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? Doesn’t God care about what I am going through? The sudden furious storm outside may be overwhelming but what is going on inside can pose the greater threat to our lives.  And that’s why Jesus isn’t as concerned with the storm outside as the one inside!

2. Storms can also make you lose direction. That’s the 2nd thing we learn from this boat ride in the storm. We can lose our direction. Many of the disciples were experienced fisherman. They had charted those waters hundreds of times before. They had been caught in storms before: so, why all the fear in this storm? Well, it might have been a more furious storm than usual, the boat was getting swamped.  But they also might have been getting disappointed that Jesus seemed so oblivious to it!  “Jesus, you’re not pulling your weight!”  “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” In other words, are you just going to sleep there or you going to get up and help? “Get up and grab an oar, Jesus; we need all hands on deck!”

It is at this moment that the unexpected happens. Jesus gets up. He does not grab an oar. He calms the storm. And this is why the disciples were terrified. Look at the story. The disciples are certainly frightened by the ferocity of the storm. They need everyone to pitch in. But Jesus rebukes the storm, “Quiet! Be still!” The disciples are stunned. They were looking for human help. What they got was divine authority! They were looking for a hand. What they got was a God. They were terrified and asked, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Let me ask you: Which would you fear? The storm, or the One who masters the storm? It is here that they lose direction. Jesus asks, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” You see this? They don’t know Who it is that rides in the boat with them. “Do you still have no faith?  Do you still not understand who I am?” They were frightened during the storm, but after the storm they were terrified!  Why?  Because of He who was in the boat! Their real problem is not the storm outside but the storm of doubt and unbelief inside!  Doubt and guilt!

Storms that rage within us cannot be cured by ourselves. It takes the power of God's love, as revealed in Jesus Christ. He is our only hope of stilling the tempest of doubt and guilt that can harm our souls and cripple our lives. That’s what the disciples learned this day on the Sea of Galilee. They thought the danger lie outside the boat. They would soon learn the real danger lie within the boat, within their own hearts. In a word, they lacked faith.

Where do you turn in the midst of the storm?  Who do you look for?  It is an urgent question. God, in his grace, has given us the best answer that we could have for that question!

It was not the only time that the disciples had to face the question. In the 6th chapter of John we read where the crowds began to fall away from Jesus. Oh, people still followed Him. But the old excitement was no longer there. Jesus was no longer talking about the Kingdom of God.  He was talking about his road to the cross, about his coming death and resurrection. It was at this point that Jesus turned to the disciples and asked, “Do you also wish to go away?”

Simon Peter spoke for the group. Peter often spoke impetuously, often out of turn, often without thinking, but he always spoke from the heart. “Lord,” he answered, “to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; we believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”

When we find ourselves sinking in the midst of a storm, where else can you go to, but God?  There was a woman in a community who was well known for her simple faith and great calm in the midst of many trials. Another woman who had never met her but had heard of her came to visit one day. "I must find out the secret of her calm, happy life," she thought to herself. As she met her she said: "So, you are the woman with the great faith I've heard so much about."  “No,” came the reply, "I am not the woman with the great faith, but I am the woman with the little faith in the great God."

I do not believe that on the Sea of Galilee that day, Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith in his ability to calm the storm. I believe that Jesus is disappointed that they do not yet understand who He is!  If they understood that, then they would not fear the sea!

When you find yourself in the midst of a storm and the boat is sinking, look to Christ!  Where else could you possibly look for help?  Only Jesus has the words of eternal life. Only God is the Holy One. Only Jesus can calm the tempest.  Only God delivers!

3. Finally, if we do not understand Who it is in the boat with us, then Our fear of the storm has the power to paralyze.  When Jesus awakened, He rebuked not only the storm but the disciples. “Why are you afraid,” he asked. “Have you no faith?”  What God promises to you and me is his loving presence.  In the midst of the storm, God will be in the boat with you.  You need not panic, though the situation may appear bleak. The Lord of the Church is in the boat with you. You need not forsake your witness. The Lord of History is in the boat with you. You need not become paralyzed. The Lord of the storm is in the boat with you. That is the promise.

Will the clouds dissipate immediately? No guarantee. Will you no longer have to struggle with problems? It is never promised. Will you prosper, as the T.V. ministers assure you? No. So what’s so great about God’s promise?  It got Noah through the storm. It got the Jews through the wilderness. It got Mary through her pregnancy. It got the disciples through the storm, and it will be sufficient to get you through the night.

The story is told of old Bishop Warren Chandler.  As he lay on his death bed, a friend inquired as to whether or not he was afraid. "Please tell me frankly," he said, "do you fear crossing over the river of death?" "Why," replied Chandler, "I belong to a Father who owns the land on both sides of the river." In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.  That is our great salvation hope.  I want you to know that God cares if you are immobilized by some fear in your life.  He cares because that fear is intruding upon His destiny for you.  It is perfect love that casts out fear. When the storms come, look to the cross.  Look to Jesus.  Know that because He is who He is and did what He did, your safe path to his loving arms in heaven is guaranteed! Amen

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