"Don't you care if we drown?" (Mark 4:38)
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
After a long day of ministry, Jesus told his disciples to get into a boat so they could go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It was no big deal, especially with seasoned sailors like Andrew and Peter and James and John on board. A quick trip across the lake, a leisurely nighttime crossing, and before morning they would be on the other side.
It didn't exactly work out that way.
The
key to understanding this story lies in one important question: Whose
idea was it to get in the boat in the first place?
Jesus told
them to get in the boat, knowing that the storm was coming. He knew what
was about to happen, he didn't try to stop it, he got into the boat
with them, and then he went to sleep. Suddenly a great storm arose, the
wind rushing down across the mountains and through the Arbel, whipping
up the waves and causing them to come crashing into the boat. As the
water entered, the disciples furiously tried to bail it out but the
water rushed in faster than they could bail it out. The little fishing
boat bobbed like a cork as wave after wave crashed into it. Nothing
could be more terrifying than to be on a boat in the blackness of night
as it takes on water and slowly begins to sink.
Finally, the disciples woke Jesus up, asking him a question that to us may seem impertinent, but it is one we have all asked in moments of desperation: "Don't you care if we drown?"
Lord Jesus, don't you care that
my child is sick?
Lord Jesus, don't you care that my marriage is
falling apart?
Lord Jesus, don't you care that my friends have
deserted me?
Lord Jesus, don't you care that I have no money?
Lord
Jesus, don't you care that I feel so alone?
Lord Jesus, don't you
care that I want to give up?
Lord Jesus, don't you care that my
husband has died?
Lord Jesus, don't you care that I lost my job?
We
have all asked that question in a million ways a million times. We
never question the Lord's compassion when things are going well. But
God's compassion is not measured by our circumstances nor is his
kindness limited to our understanding. God cares just as much when the
tempest is raging as when the seas are calm and the sun is shining. His
mercy is not limited to the sunlight or to the stillness of the waves.
When
he awoke, Jesus spoke three words: "Peace, be still!" Eugene
Peterson offers this colorful paraphrase: "Awake now, he told the wind
to pipe down and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Settle down!'
Here
is good news for today. The storms of life that buffet us do not happen
by chance. Our Father sends them our way because he intends to teach us
things we couldn't learn any other way. When we read this story, we
tend to focus on the miracle, but the real message comes in verse 41: "Who
then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"
Take
heart and do not despair. Christ is Lord over all the storms of life. He
sends the storms, and he rides the waves with you. The Master of the
sea is by your side. When the time has come, he will say, "Peace, be
still!" and the storm will run out of breath, and the sea will become
like glass. Eventually the day will break and the sun will shine again.
We
thank you, Master of the Wind and Waves, that you control the storms of
life. Nothing can touch us without your permission. Increase our faith
so that we will trust you when the waves threaten to overwhelm us.
Amen.
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.
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