The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

June 23, 2024

Mark 4:35-41

Amazing Truths About Our Amazing God—

Our God is With Us Through All the Storms of Life!

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (NIV1984)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

What is the worst storm that you have ever endured in your life? The way in which you answer that question depends on how you define the word “storm,” doesn’t it. There are the “storms” that are also known as natural disasters. Over the course of the last few years some of you have endured a “storm” like this on a very personal level. The Tubbs Fire back in October of 2017 literally burned up the worldly possessions of many people— including some people who are a part of our church family.

The worst “storm,” the worst natural disaster I have ever experienced was Hurricane Andrew in August of 1992. Andrew left behind devastation the likes of which I had never experienced— and hope to never experience again! More recently we have seen the devastation left behind by tornadoes and fires, droughts and earthquakes. Suffice it to say that there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of “storms” that people are enduring.

Then there are the other “storms” that we encounter in our life. Here we easily think of things such as: the death of a loved one, a medical diagnosis, the end of what was once a close relationship, the aftermath of sin— whether it is our own sin or someone else’s sin, a goal that can’t be reached or a dream that has drifted away.

The point I’m trying to make is that we all face storms in our lives. While the storms may differ from one person to the next, the storms are often difficult if not devasting for the person who is enduring it.

Whenever we face a storm in our life we are tempted to cry out: “God, where are you? God, why are you allowing this to happen to me? God don’t you care about me anymore?” The portion of Scripture we have before us today addresses questions like those. The portion of Scripture we have before us today proclaims this amazing truth about our amazing God: Our God is With Us Through All the Storms of Life!

Mark sets the stage for us when he says in the opening verses of our text, “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.” A large crowd of people had gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to listen to Jesus teach. There by the sea Jesus had told them a series of parables— the Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Growing Seed, the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Now it was getting late. Evening was falling. Jesus was tired. The disciples may have been relieved to hear Jesus say, “Let us go over to the other side” — meaning the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As you know, some of these disciples were fishermen by trade. That means that the Sea of Galilee was a very familiar and very comfortable place for them to be. Once they were in that boat they knew exactly what to do. They knew the ropes. They knew the route. They knew how to read the stars in the night sky. They were probably happy to be in control— while Jesus got some well-deserved rest, sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat. Everything was going well— until it wasn’t!

Have you ever been in a similar situation? Your hopes and your dreams were all sailing along just as you had planned. School was going well. Your job was going great. Your retirement is unfolding absolutely beautifully. Your relationship with your spouse, your relationship with your children, your relationship with your grandchildren, your relationship with your friends, everything is going great— until it isn’t, until a “storm” suddenly threatens it all! For Jesus’ disciples that “storm” is described in this way, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke hm and said, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’”

Even for these experienced fishermen this was a terrifying turn of events! Remember it was nighttime. In the darkness of night the wind started to whistle and howl all around them. In the darkness of night huge waves were breaking over the boat— each one threatening to sink them. All their experience and all their skills were suddenly useless. With their hearts filled with fear and with their boat floundering in the water— where was Jesus? What was He doing? He was in the back of the boat sound asleep! Since there was nothing else they could do the disciples turned to their last resort— go wake Jesus! So that’s what they did. In desperation they turned to Jesus and cried out, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” How could the disciples say such a thing— especially after the many amazing miracles they had seen Jesus perform, especially after the many amazing truths they had heard Jesus proclaim? Peter had witnessed the healing of his mother-in-law. (Mark 1:30-31) These men had seen Jesus heal lepers and cast out demons. They had witnessed one person after another coming to Jesus for help. They had witnessed each and every one of these people receive the healing they so desperately needed. By the power of Jesus’ love, the sick were made sound, the troubled were transformed, the possessed were provided with peace. And yet, the men who had seen the might of Jesus’ power, the men who had heard the depth of Jesus’ message, these very same men scurry to the back of the boat and cry out, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

These men remind us of ourselves, don’t they. Think about it. Whether it’s in our own life or in the life of someone we know we have seen and heard Jesus’ power to guide and to protect and to heal. Whether it’s in our own life or in the life of someone we know we have seen and heard the depth of Jesus’ love. We’ve seen and heard the depth of Jesus’ love as He washes a baby clean of all their sins and adopts them to be His own dearly beloved child through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. We have seen and heard the depth of Jesus’ love as He gives us His true Body and His true Blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion as visible tangible proof that through faith in what He has done for us (Pointing to the cross) all of our sins are completely forgiven. We have seen and heard the depth and the power of Jesus’ love as we gather around His holy Word both here in church and at home. And then a “furious squall” engulfs our life! And then a “furious squall” engulfs the life of someone we love! And then like the disciples we cry out, “Teacher, don’t you care?”

Whenever we are tempted to cry out those words, let’s take a moment to realize how much pain those words bring to our Savior. Caring is what Jesus is all about! Caring is what led our amazing God to proclaim that first amazing Gospel promise to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Caring is what led Jesus to leave His eternal throne in heaven and be born as a true human being in the most humble of circumstances. Caring is what led Jesus to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, enable the mute to speak and to raise the dead. Caring is what motivated Jesus to live and to die and to rise again all so that we could receive the free gift of forgiveness and the guarantee of eternal life in heaven. Caring is why Jesus says to each and every one of us, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

“Teacher, don’t you care?” No matter how furious the storm might be, no matter how ferociously the devil tries to use the storms that we face in life to swamp our faith and push us away from our amazing God, we always need to remember that our Savior cares for us— this much! (Pointing to the cross)

When you find yourself being overwhelmed by fears and tears, when your heart is breaking, when the worries of life make you feel alone and deserted— remember, my friends. Remember that even when it seems that Jesus is “sleeping on a cushion” in the back of the boat, He is still in complete control of all things. He still has the power to make everything work together for your eternal good. He will keep His promise to always be by your side to guard you and to protect you.

That amazing truth is brought out very clearly when we see and hear Jesus’ reaction to His disciples’ question, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Look at verses thirty-nine and forty of our text. Mark writes, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’”

With the power and the authority that only God possesses Jesus “rebuked” the wind. That could also be translated, Jesus “scolded” the wind. He commanded the wind to be “quiet” and to “calm down.” He ordered the waves to “be still.” And what was the result? Mark says that the wind “stopped” and there was a “great calm.” Notice the contrast between the “great storm” and the “great calm.” Even a weary Jesus is still far stronger than the mightiest storm!

And then turning to His disciples Jesus speaks words that at times we also need to hear, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Despite having Jesus right there with them in the boat, when trouble came into their lives the disciples were “afraid.” They became “cowardly.” Only after all of their own efforts failed did they finally turn to Jesus for help, but their faith was weak. They questioned whether Jesus even “cared” about what was happening to them.

Does any of that sound familiar, my friends? Have we ever allowed the storms that we encounter in life to overwhelm us with fear? Have we ever faced anything in our life that reveals that our faith is weaker than we realized? When that happens don’t wait! Don’t try to “fix” it on your own! Don’t try to weather out the storm all by yourself! That is when we need to turn to Jesus. That is when we need to trust in Jesus. That is when we need to say along with the father who brought his son to Jesus to be healed of demon-possession, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief?” (Mark 9:24)

That brings us to the closing verse of our text. Mark says concerning the disciples, “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” Very literally Mark says that Jesus’ disciples, “Feared a great fear.” It’s certainly not difficult for us to understand why the disciples “feared a great fear.” To have a “great storm” instantly become a “great calm” simply because Jesus spoke the words, “Quiet! Be still!”— well, that would probably fill our hearts with a “great fear” too!

Thankfully— by the grace of God!— the disciples would come to believe and to trust in the ultimate answer to their question, “Who is this?” As Jesus’ amazing ministry continued to unfold before their eyes, as they continued to listen to Jesus as He proclaimed more and more amazing truths the disciples would come to understand what you and I have been led to understand! Who is Jesus? Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus is the Lord of Creation— the One who has the ultimate power and the ultimate authority over all things in heaven and on earth. While Satan may be the “prince” of this world, Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus is the One who not only endured a “storm” the likes of which we cannot even begin to comprehend as He endured the agonizing depths of hell itself— in our place!— (Pointing to the cross), but Jesus is the One who emerged as the Victor when He physically rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. While the devil may indeed bring various “storms” into our lives— just as he did with Job— Jesus is still the One who has the power and the authority to say to Satan, “Quiet! Be still!” and Satan has no choice but to obey Him.

My prayer this morning, my friends, is this: If ever, when ever you feel as though you are in a boat that is being overwhelmed by the winds and the waves of this world, remember that Jesus is right there with you! While there may be times when it may seem as though Jesus is “sleeping on a cushion” in the back of the boat— He is always in control of all things! In other words, Jesus is always with us through all the storms of life! What an amazing truth! What a wonderful reason to say:

To God be the glory!

Amen