PASTOR’S CORNER, Rev. Jason Toombs, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Liberal
This Sunday we hear of Jesus and the Disciples from Mark 4: And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
It’s this combination of being on the water and in a thunderstorm that gave great concern for the disciples that evening as they were out on the water. The disciples had great fear because they were concerned that the waves hitting the boat might cause them to capsize and the water might become their grave.
Some of the disciples were fishermen, they had sea legs and were used to being on the water in all sorts of weather. When the weather was good, that’s when a great catch should be had. Calm water usually leads to better catching. Although, before a storm, especially a heavy storm, the bites start happening quickly and seem to never let up.
But these fishermen didn’t fish like we typically do with a rod and reel. No, these were net fishermen, similar to those in the ocean. All sorts of fish would be caught, “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish” could be found in the nets.
These fishermen turned fishers of men should be as comfortable on the water as on land, but even brave little boys and girls tend to be scared when their life seems to be on the line. The other disciples probably weren’t as used to being on the water.
It seems that those who are used to being on water tend to fare better than those who usually stay on land when the seas start to swell, and the water gets choppy. When the boat seems to be tottering on tipping over, rocking from one side to the other, all begin to panic and start looking for someone or something to save them. The disciples cry out for fear and turn to Jesus who was asleep on the cushion, crying out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
When our sins get the better of us, when life seems to be dragging down not only our energy, but our finances, our family, and ourselves, we cry out. They say that it is only when a person hits rock bottom that they start seeking help. We need to be willing to have an open ear for listening, an open shoulder upon which to cry, and be a crutch to lean on for those we know who are experiencing tough times.
Too often we tend to act like we have everything under control, even though we know that the sinful storm within us seems to be spiraling like a cyclone and we crush those who we care about most. Or, we have been stuffing our feelings and frustrations down deep and all it does is fester and ferment until a fracture sets off the eruption and we begin to lash out at others.
That’s when Jesus appears all the more, just like He arose that night for the disciples and spoke to wind and wave, “Peace! Be still!” And the storm was silenced. It seems weird that what began blowing became calm, but He knew what He was doing. Jesus was there, at the stern, where the rudder was, and He was the one who was guiding that small boat through the stormy sea.
When Jesus arose and spoke to the wind and the waves, a great fear came upon them, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” There is something different about Jesus that the disciples were beginning to understand. But even though they saw this, fear still crept into their minds.
If we had been there, we likewise would have been fearful, but the fear was for a different reason. They were previously afraid of sinking and now they were fearful of the power of Jesus. Jesus spoke to the stormy sea, and it obeyed, it was once again at peace and still.
This is also what Jesus does as He forgives your sins. He says to you, “Peace! Be still!” and you are set at peace with Him once more. Your heart may doubt, but His Word is sure and steady. It is He who has washed you and it is He who has spoken His powerful word of forgiveness to you.
