Peace, be still: When the wind ran out of breath

Sermon on Mark 4:35-40

Introduction
It’s easy for forget how fearsome and threatening the forces of nature can be. We might read and watch on TV hurricanes, floods, earthquakes but we might not truly appreciate how fragile man is in the face of the might of nature. In the Discovery Chanel documentary and reality show “The Deadliest Catch”, we see the life of Alaskan crab fishermen, doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. The clip you’re watching now is a slice of this show . [1]

Our passage today isn’t the Alaskan sea, it’s the Sea of Galilee, or today know as Lake Kinneret in Israel, also the lowest fresh water lake in the world[2] . Our fisherman’s boats were not very big either- some speculate it might have been about 26.5 feet by 7.5 feet by 4.5 feet. However, from the description it seems the waves were just as big and fierce, and the disciples were in fear of their lives, when “waves poured into their boat, threatening to sink it”, powered by winds like hurricanes. [3]

The passage today
The disciples had one shock after another. What would have run through their minds? “After a regular session of teaching by Jesus, He asked to go to the other side. One of the storms that Lake of Galilee came up, but this one was HUGE! There we were, surrounded by waves! We were going to drown! I don’t know what was more shocking- the storm, or that Jesus was just …. SLEEPING… there calmly!! Who can sleep at a time like this?? We woke Him up and begged Him to do something- did he not care?? Next shock- Jesus SPOKE to the wind, and it was as if it was muzzled. Like a dog being shut up, the wind ran out of breath, and the sea became as smooth as glass- who is this man??[4] But that wasn’t all! We had were staring wide-eyed at Jesus, not knowing what to make of it, when he then SCOLDED us, saying that we were COWARDS, and that we didn’t have FAITH at all! Faith…what was I supposed to do? What was going on?? ”.

Who is Jesus? [5]
Mark, like any good movie-maker “shows” instead of “tells”[6] . Mark, who was not a follower of Christ himself, and whose writing did not show a high level of literary skill, used a lot of eyewitness details, presumably to make the accounts more vivid and engaging. By immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds, using details from first-hand narratives (people like Peter?), we, the readers, are asked implicitly to consider what is the significance.

That significance seems obvious to us. Jesus is so powerful that even nature obeys Him. He shows his power, curbs the seas, and saves the day. In this part of the gospel of Mark, this passage forms a group with others that demonstrate Jesus’s power over nature or over the natural course of events. These passages are: Jesus drives out a demon (Mk 5:1-20), heals a sick woman (Mk 5:21-23) and raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead(Mk 5:35-43). The solution to all these problems is the same: Jesus, by speaking the Word, makes things right again. Jesus’ words spoken “ Peace, be still!”. Peace, be still—Siopa, pephimoso—be silent, be dumb.[7] We, the readers, might echo the words of the disciples and the bystanders: “who is this?” (Mk 4:41)’ “how can a man do these things?”.

Motifs- Old Testament and Beyond
The idea of God controlling nature is not new. In Jonah 1, we see God causing the sea to be violent and the sailors on board panicking. What has caused this- it was Jonah, being pursued by the God who he was running away from. It was only after Jonah was cast overboard that the seas calmed down. In this passage, Jesus’ power in controlling the wind and waves tells the readers that this is akin to the power of God. Readers in the know would also see shades of Ancient Near Eastern mythology (battle between the storm god and chaos), and see connections Hebrew poetry (like Psalms 107:32, the sea doing God’s bidding). Often nature miracle stories are twined with a divine epiphany (the revelation of a divine power/ being); in today’s lingo, “the great reveal”.

Actually, I can’t really identify with the disciples’ response to Jesus” Great Reveal”. Your master has finally woken up, and He has “muzzled the sea” and now there is a deathly calm. What could you have said? “Wow, that’s great- now that you’re finally up!” “I knew you could do it!” “All in a day’s work”?. No. The disciples are EVEN MORE AFRAID.

The account of Mark
(a) [Emphasis on disciples’ fear upon the “reveal” of power]. One difference between Mark and Luke/Matthew is how the disciples’ fear of Jesus was expressed. In Matthew, only said that the disciples marvelled, and Luke says they feared and marvelled, but Mark only said that they feared. When Jesus displayed His powers of the seas and winds, the disciples’ fear of the seas was replaced by the fear of Jesus. “They had feared the power and wrath of the Creator in the storm, and that fear had torment and amazement in it; but now they feared the power and grace of the Redeemer in the calm.” (Matthew Henry commentaries).

(b)[strong cry for help by disciples] The fear of the disciples should be seen in the context of how dire things were. The crisis of the waves was SO bad, that the disciples were desperate. Mark shows the disciples in a great panic when they ask Jesus to help- it is in an almost reproachful way “Teacher, DON”T YOU CARE THAT WE ARE PERISHING??” [8] .Whereas Matthew (v 25) has it like a prayer, and Luke (v 24) write it like a plead for help, Mark’s account conveys to us the desperation and frustration of the disciples, perhaps wailed out as the waters and the winds churn around them.

(3) [strong rebuke for lack of faith] If I put myself in the disciple’s shoes, my first instinct is to be indignant that God would scold me for being fearful. The disciples have “put down their nets and followed him”, who have turned their backs on their family and friends, who have been following Him as He wanders around, preaching to people. They tried their best to believe Him even when, honestly, often they didn’t understand Him. They probably thought they ranked quite high in faith. [9] Yet, in something like this freak storm, where it’s quite reasonable to be very scared and panicking, Jesus accuses them of having no faith. Is there no pleasing Him??

“ Why so fearful”?
For applying the text to myself, verse 40 is the crux-“Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” To make matters worse, what is used here is not the normal word for fear, but instead a relatively rare word that is always used in a negative sense[10]. He is in effect saying to them, "You cowards! You have no faith!" [11] Especially in Marks’ version, these are strong words. Does it seem that Jesus is being a little harsh on the disciples?

(a) “Why so fearful?” I really don’t like being afraid- who does? I hate feeing desperate and hate even more that I’m feeling like a coward. I hate- and fear- things that I cannot control, cannot cope with- my preferred strategy is denial and avoidance. I’m ashamed to say however, that I don’t think it’s really God that I fear. I just don’t like to suffer, and don’t like to be out of my comfort zone.

Am I alone? Is this fear of the Lord something you are familiar with? Like the disciples, we think we know this Jesus Christ that we follow, but it might not be until our Lord reveals Himself that we find are struck by the awesomeness of our Once and Future King. We know the loving and caring Lord - but the Lord that controls nature and orders the winds is not one we can identify with immediately. This is a Lord with POWER and with AUTHORITY. Do we fear the God whose majesty is overwhelming and whose power is beyond our comprehension? Do we believe it when we sing “Our God is an Awesome God”? [12]

(b) “How is it that you have no faith?” Spurgeon thinks that these words of Jesus were spoken in a pitying, yet loving way- an “exclamation of pity”, BUT together with the “censure of love.”[13] Why censure? Because this lack of faith (i) was not pleasing to God; (ii) was unreasonable given what they had seen of the power of God through Jesus, and (iii) came from a low view of Jesus.

Can we will(force) ourselves to have faith? If we have seen God’s power at work, and have a correct view of our awesome God and of Jesus, then are we certain to have faith? Not so. In my mind, it seems that the winds and waves obey Christ (peace, be still!) but it’s not so easy with the disciples! If only God could say to be “Peace, be still!” or” You there! Have more faith!” and instantly, we are over-flowing with faith. It doesn’t work that way- we commit ourselves to God and we do our best, but it is God who helps us. “Knowledge and evidence lead to faith... Faith is the gift of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, but it comes to us in a certain manner (Spurgeon)”.

Application- Seasons of Life
For some of us, this is the umpteenth time we’ve heard this sermon about “faith”, from our Sunday School days of “ With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm”. But we’re now at a different stage of life- no longer children, although we’re told to have “child-like faith”.

One view of how faith goes through different stages considers (not WHAT he or she believes, but) how he/she arrives at these beliefs and applies them to his or her life. As we grow older, that faith becomes more complex, takes into accounts inconsistencies and difficulties (Fowler’s stages of faith, a development theory of faith[14] ). We move from (stage 1) adopting beliefs and moral rules and attitudes literally, and seeing the world in black and white, to (stage 3) seeing faith as something external to ourselves to, without the need to ask questions or examine things too closely, to (stage 4) taking responsibility for and exploring our beliefs. Most of us settle in a place (stage 5) where we are open to paradoxes and opposing views, and can somewhat reconcile them for ourselves.

The way we approach faith changes with the seasons of our life as well; are you like the young adults, where you’re in transition, and there are new classmates, new jobs, new challenges? Are you new parents, or about to be soon, where you have a new role and new responsibilities? Are you moving to your middle or late adulthood, where things are stable, but might feel a little stagnant? From where you stand now, what does it mean to “have faith” and to “ not be fearful”? What might you – what should you- have faith in God about? What are you fearful about, instead of fearing the God who can control everything? If faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), then what or in who are you hoping?

Summary and conclusion
In today’s passage, the great storm (lai:lay megavlh) causes Jesus to speak, creating a great calm (galhvnh megavlh), which causes the disciples’ response, a great fear (fovbon mevgan). Mark’s intent is to demonstrate the greatness of the problem (a furious storm) - solved by Jesus’ authoritative and powerful response (the great calming of the storm) - followed by the disciples’ response (fearing a great fear).[15]

This relationship points to the greatness and power of Jesus as the Son of God. This is Mark’s purpose for writing this episode.[16] Matthew Henry says the disciples” feared the Lord and his goodness, and had pleasure and satisfaction in it, and by it they gave glory to Christ, as Jonah’s mariners, who, when the sea ceased from her raging, feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, Jonah 1:16” . I had a pretty stormy year in 2011, and I’m still feeling occasional ripples from it today. I’m trying more to say ‘God, your will be done” rather than “alright God, have it your way” (CS Lewis), and trying really hard to see how large and awesome God is, and how I can have more faith. I’m not always successful- and I don’t even know how to tell I’m doing well in it. When God says “ Peace, be still”, and tells me to have faith, I can only say “ God, I’m trying. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship and the power of the Holy Spirit.” Let us pray.

Prayer: Thank you for this message- heard many times- fresh in our hearts we acknowledge your power in changing lives -Forgive us when we doubt and forget your awesome might and power- forgive us for being more fearful of problems than of you- help us to know you and fear you- help us to “be still” and to build our faith.

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRO6H8puHF8
[2] http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/41-21/calming-the-storm
[3] From the greek word used in v37 for “ winds”.
[4] Phrasing borrowed from The Message translation by Eugene Peterson. V39-pephimoso- greek-“muzzled”- Be Still and Stay Still!
[5] http://www.slusser.us/papers/Markpaperweb.pdf
[6] http://yale.academia.edu/RyanFitzgerald/Papers/577962/Postcolonialism_and_the_Gospel_of_Mark_An_Assessment, see page 68 commentary on this passage on how the reader not explicitly told but invited to consider the question
[7] From the Matthew Henry commentary on this passage
[8] (Caps and exclamations marks are mine!)
[9] Perspective borrowed from http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols31-33/chs1964.pdf, 2nd paragraph.
[10] The most interestingly in Revelation 21:6-8 , where Jesus is chastising (among others) the cowards, who will be in the lake of fire and brimstone 6 "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 "He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 "But for the cowardly [here is the word] and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
[11] http://tcpiii.tripod.com/mark5a.htm
[12] Title of Rich Mullins Song
[13] http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols31-33/chs1964.pdf , page 2-4, points I and II.
[14] Fowler’s book Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning http://www.connectionsonline.org/Connpdf/1105Conn.pdf and http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/fowler.html ;
[15] http://www.slusser.us/papers/Markpaperweb.pdf
[16] Ibid