[i Sam. 17:1a, 4, 32-49; ii Cor. 6:1-13; Mk. 4:35-41]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
“Teacher, do you not care..?”
Desperate words.
Desperate words spoken by desperate people, desperate disciples in a desperate situation.
They’re perishing, at the point of drowning.
Winds are howling around them, rocking their boat, a small fishing boat on Lake Tiberias.
Waves are beating into the vessel, they’re being swamped, they’re being taken over.
“Teacher, …we are perishing!”
“Teacher, do you not care..?”
How many of you have ever travelled by boat?
Perhaps it was the big ferry between Oostende and Dover or Zeebrugge and Hull.
Perhaps it was the hover foil or hovercraft.
Perhaps you went fishing or sailing, exploring islands or the coastline of a country.
Perhaps you’ve even been on one of those enormous cruise ships with dozens of floors.
Maybe you’ve experienced a storm while on this boat: you’re having trouble walking in a straight line, your stomach is in a knot, you feel nauseous, and if the weather was really bad, you might have truly felt worried or scared.
Maybe in that instance you too prayed.
Imagine being on a fishing boat on a big lake in the first century AD: no coast guard, no lifeboats, rescue vests or lifebuoys.
And a storm is raging so badly, you fear it might literally swallow you up.
Your whole body tightens up, and your mind is playing the worst-case scenarios: what if?!
Then Jesus, who was sleeping through all of this, gets up, tells off the fierce elements of nature and says: “Peace! Be still!”
Jesus wishes the storm peace and nature responds.
He was saying it just as much to the disciples and He’s saying it to us here today.
“Peace! Be still!”
Stop your raging, stop your howling, stop your threats which scare people, stop your fierceness and awesomeness, and be still.
You, who’re afraid for your life, who’re afraid in your life, be still, breathe, relax, believe.
Teacher, don’t you care that we’re perishing?
Yes, I care!
Many Christians only call on God when in need, when they need something from Him.
Often this plea comes with a promise: ‘if you do this for me, then I swear to...if you grant me this, then I’ll do this in return...if you give this to me, then I’ll never again...
They barter with God, because perhaps deep down they don’t believe God really cares for them without demanding something in return, perhaps deep down they think they need to trade with God, like they trade with others and with themselves.
God is not a bazaar where you haggle for stuff!
There’s nothing wrong with asking God for practical things, material things, for bodily protection; but when we say please -if we say please- do we say thank you as well?
God’s not just there when we want things or when we’re frightened; the wonderful thing about God, our God, the living God is that He’s always there for us, always present, without asking for payment or favours in return.
People -Christians also!- seem to have very short memories indeed, they easily forget the great deeds God has done and still does for them.
As if we expect God to prove Himself to us over and over again.
When we think that God doesn’t care, aren’t we just projecting our own lack of care onto him?
“Peace! Be still!”
I’m here, I know of your fears and needs, so let your soul be still and trust Me, have faith!
Easier said than done of course, when bad things happen to good people.
When evil knocks on our door, or appears out of nowhere and overwhelms us, swamps us.
Why didn’t God stop the danger? Why didn’t God stop the drunk driver who hit the cyclist? Why did the building collapse? Why did my loved one have to leave me? Why why why..?
Completely understandable questions. Completely acceptable doubts.
To answer them isn’t always easy: that person shouldn’t have been drinking and driving; the builders used substandard materials; the relationship came to an end, relationships do.
But what then about hurricanes and volcanic eruptions, what about ongoing draught or heavy flooding, or epidemics; what then about all those things that are beyond human control (for the most part).
We say that God is there in those hours of need.
What else can we say?
Teacher we’re perishing!
Calm, I’m here!
Hopefully we too are present in those hours of need, in times of distress when people have lost everything, are in complete despair.
There’s not much else we can do, but to be there for them, for others, to listen to them, to pray with them, to cry with them.
As Christians we’re called to testify of the love and care of God, even when people find that to be an ‘easy answer’ or an ‘unsatisfying answer’.
We shouldn’t be angry or disappointed about that; it’s not up to us to tell people if and when they’re allowed to be sad or angry.
Jesus woke up and calmed the storm, took the pleas of the disciples to heart, out of love, without asking anything in return.
Jesus rose from the dead and gives peace to the world.
We too are called to love and serve others in the storms of their lives, be there for each other when the winds assail them, attack all of us.
Without expecting to be rewarded, on earth nor in heaven!
And afterwards? What happens after Jesus has stepped in and calmed the storm? Back to business as usual? Or has something changed, do we allow for change to happen and do we not ignore it and revert to old routines and old habits, sins?
What a real shame that would be, to forget all about the time when we called on our Teacher and our Teacher made all well.
Or does the boat reach the shore, safely…until the next storm?
Jesu, lover of my soul…
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.