Mark 4:35-41
Introduction
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA for short, are predicting that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1st to November 30th, has an 85 % chance of an above normal season, a 10% chance of a normal season, and a 5% chance of a below-normal season. NOAA is forecasting a range of 17 to 25 total named storms (which would mean they have winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those storms, 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).
Here is, I think, the most interesting, and disturbing, bit of information shared in the article I read and got this information. “Forecasters have a 70% confidence in these ranges.” But this information pertains to just hurricanes.
According to NOAA, there have been 11 individual billion-dollar weather and climate events across the U.S. during the first five months of 2024—meaning that each of these storms— nine severe storm events and two winter storms—caused losses exceeding $1 billion. In fact, the total cost of these events exceeded $25 billion, and they have resulted in at least 84 fatalities. The recovery from these storms is ongoing and will take years, but even then, the memories will linger.
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The fishermen of Galilee knew the power and force of storms. They knew whenever a squall blew up on the water, it was a reminder that they were not in control of the skies, the wind, or the season.
This is true throughout much of Scripture—water and the sea represent calamity. For the Israelites the vast Mediterranean Sea, and even the smaller seas like Galilee, represented the unknown— the deep, the place where terrible sea monsters lurked. The sea was the place from which some people never returned. But we can go back to the beginning, the first verses of Genesis and read again how the sea represents chaos. When God created the heavens and the earth, “the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) In the midst of the stormy chaos, God begins to create by bringing light to pierce the darkness, separating the waters from the land. The creation story is how God begins to bring order out of chaos, which becomes a metaphor for the whole biblical story: the story of how God deals with life’s storms… by turning them into opportunities for new creation.
Move 1
It’s no coincidence the first major story after creation is another storm story. Noah is a righteous man who obeys God, builds an ark, and prepares for God’s judgment on a world where the wickedness of humanity was its own storm.
God allows the chaos of the waters to break loose in a horrific flood, reverting back to the watery void of Genesis 1. And yet, while the waters rage, God saves Noah, his family and the creatures of the earth on an ark tossed by stormy seas. God’s judgment, God’s grace and God’s rescue come together on that boat. (Genesis 6-10) Eventually, Noah steps out of the ark and into a new creation washed clean by the flood. Chaos is pushed back again, revealing how God is going to deal with chaos and evil going forward: not by unleashing the chaos, but by working toward a new creation.
The story of the Bible is the story of how God does this through the story of Israel—a story that reaches its climax in Jesus. It’s the Exodus story of God parting the waters of the Red Sea to save Israel from the evil of slavery in Egypt. It’s the story of Job railing at God in the midst of evil and suffering and God showing Job the great sea monsters under God’s control—a sign that chaos and death doesn’t get to have the last word. It’s the story of Isaiah looking forward to a day when all can come to the waters and drink without fear. (Isaiah 55:1) It’s the story of Jonah tossed into the raging sea but saved in the belly of a whale. (Jonah 2-3) It’s the story of Jesus, going through the waters of baptism and into the desert to do battle with the forces of evil. (Mark 1:9-13)
The story of Scripture is the story of how God brings the people of God through the storms and into a new creation.
Move 2
It’s no accident then, that Mark preserves our text for today, the story of Jesus and his disciples on a boat being tossed by an unexpected and violent storm. The chaos rages once again; rickety boats are swamped by massive waves. Fear, panic and desperation engulf these fishermen—and rightly so. (vv. 35-37) Mark tells us that during all the chaos, Jesus is in the stern of the boat napping quietly on a cushion. Jesus apparently doesn’t sense the chaos of the storm, and so they go to him and cry out, “Wake up! Don’t you see we’re dying here? Don’t you care?” Jesus wakes up, probably looks at them for a long moment with one eye open, but doesn’t answer their question. Instead, he stands and addresses the wind and the waves. Mark says Jesus “rebuked” the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Mark, as well as the other Gospels, makes it clear: Jesus has command over the wind and waves, over chaos and calamity and over evil and despair.
Now we, along with Mark’s readers, might expect Jesus to give his disciples an explanation of how he calmed the storm. How did he turn a violent, raging sea into a placid pond of tranquility? We might expect a presentation outlining Jesus’ humanity and divinity. We might even expect Jesus to smile and go back to sleep, leaving the disciples to wonder about what just happened. But rather than riff on this display of power, Jesus instead asks them a question: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” You can’t help but wonder what the Disciples said “Of course we’re afraid! We were in a Category 5 hurricane. We almost died. But you stand up, raise your hands like Moses over the Red Sea, and the forces of nature obey you. Yeah. We’re afraid! Of the storm… and now were a little bit afraid of you!”
In their fear, however, the disciples had forgotten one important fact: Jesus was in the boat with them. They woke Jesus up so he could share in their panic. But Jesus wants them to have faith— not fear—saying in effect, “Always remember, I’m in the boat with you, and I’ve got this.”
Move 3
Storms hit us, too, often with great fury. Many devastating hurricanes can hit our lives no matter where we are: The storm of Cancer. The storm of Divorce. The storm of Unemployment. The storm of Financial Crisis. The storm of Child Illness. We all can name our storms. But do we remember where Jesus is in the midst of these storms? Where is Jesus when the storm of devastating illness hits? Where is Jesus when the storm of a loved one’s death leaves us in shock? Where is Jesus when the storm of desperation and doubt threaten to sink us? Where? In the boat, with us.
And there he invites us to turn from fear to faith—the kind of faith that Jesus himself had in the God who brings order out of chaos and will one day still all storms forever. And we know he can do this because like the disciples who had many a storm hit them—we’re still here. We’re still here.
Conclusion
In the book of Revelation we see a vision of the new creation made possible by Jesus’ faithfulness on the cross and the triumph of his resurrection as the completion of God’s plan. In chapter 21 we read about the new heaven and the new earth “coming down” and casting aside all the storms of evil from the old creation, making all things new. As John sees this vision, he notices in this new creation “the sea was no more.” (Revelation 21:1) There’s no place for evil and chaos in the new creation. No place for tears. No place for mourning or crying or pain. No more storms.
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This past week, six from our church traveled to southwestern Kentucky and the city of Mayfield, to help further the recovery work that has been ongoing since December 2021 (two and a half years ago) when the ninth largest tornado in U.S. history hit that community, killing 24 people.
Next Sunday our mission team is going to share with us some reflections about that trip, unpacking a little bit about how in that community God has been moving its people from that December 2021 storm to the new creation that is unfolding, all by the hand of God who was there with that community in the midst of that devastating storm, and who is no doubt with them still today.
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All of us are facing serious storms. We’re afraid, and rightly so. But what can happen if we put our faith in the One who lived and died by faith?
We see the winds and the waves, but can happen if we focus our eyes on Jesus, the One whom the wind and the waves ultimately obey? When the ship is tossed, we can only think of our doom, but what can happen if we imagine the calm and hope of a new creation?
Faith doesn’t mean we won’t suffer. Jesus himself suffered and died while holding on to faith. But faith does mean we can trust him for our future—a future made possible by Jesus’ faith in God’s new creation made possible by an empty tomb and the defeat of death. For that is how all of God’s children make their way through any storm. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, June 23, 2024
Almighty God, Lord of the storm and of the calm; the vexed sea and the quiet haven; of day and of night; of life and of death, we step before you and acknowledge our fear, anxiety, worry and distrust are common experiences of life today.
These emotions are all used to peddle for profit in the marketplace and to manipulate us at every turn. These emotions can consume us and steal life from our very souls. But, in the presence of you Holy God, we are reoriented to the truth: Your perfect love defeats all our fear, anxiety, worry and distrust. Your willingness to stand between us and the storms of life is enough to keep us here, to keep us moving forward.
Yet we confess we are short-sighted and forgetful, for which we are sorry.
We forget with a word you created all that is, and your word still has power to deliver us from storms of doubt and fear; storms of chaos and evil.
But, we fail to call on you. We rely instead on our own resources rather than trust yours. We muddle along in weakness, forgetting how readily available to us is your strength.
So we pray, deliver us, gracious God, yet again. Calm the storms around us, and especially within us, by being our peace. Then renew us in love and trust, reminding us that faith in you is far more life giving than fear. Reminding us, we will again see, and experience, the power that stilled the sea is the same power that defeated sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
So stir in us now, Holy God, a willingness to hear you, the desire to know the truth, and the courage to follow in joyful obedience, that we may be forgo anxiety, worry and distrust, and instead be formed by your word into women and men of faith.
We ask you to listen now to the prayers we need to share in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our…