Brent Kuhlman

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Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7)
21 June 2009

St. Mark 4:35-41

Jesus is asleep.  Sleeping soundly.  That’s just fine until disaster strikes.  All of a sudden a massive sea storm hits.  It rages out of control.  And Jesus just goes on snoozing.  Even as the boat’s filling with water and going under.  The fishermen and boating disciples are squared up to the possibility of experiencing a tragic death by drowning at sea.  What any maritime sailor or fisherman fears the most.  And where’s Jesus?  At the stern sacked out on a soft cushion.  What a time to be sawing logs!  What a time for Jesus to be taking a nap!

Didn’t have life jackets in those days.  No cell phones or ham radios to issue an S.O.S.  No coast guard or boat patrols.  The boat is no match for the waves.  The sea faring disciples are no match for the furious tempest.  They can’t bail fast enough. All they’ve got is a snoring Jesus!  That’s right, a sleeping, snoring, completely at peace Jesus!  The storm doesn’t bother Him a bit!   

Can they trust a sleeping at the stern Jesus in the midst of such a deadly storm?  How about you? 

The disciples have their doubts.  The stormy sea seems greater than Jesus.  “Good grief Jesus!  Don’t you care that we’re drowning?  Peter, take him by the shoulders and shake Him!  Wake up Jesus!  Wake up!”      

What is it in your life that appears bigger than Jesus?  Something that you believe Jesus can’t handle?  Especially a slumbering Jesus?  What sin or sins?  Is it death?  Is it Satan?  Hell?  An illness?  Family or work problems?  What dangers?  Too big for Jesus are they? 

Faith is little when the object of faith – Jesus -- grows little!

And so as the storm rages the disciples struggle to trust a sleeping on the stern cushion Jesus.  Little faith – little Jesus. 

What’s the storm or storms in your life that block or hinder you from trusting Jesus who goes into the deep sleep of death on the cross?  “Don’t you care Jesus?  Are you sleeping on the job?  Wake up!  Wake up!”   

He does care.  Very much.  He entered our world because He cares.  Took on our flesh and blood because He cares.  Preached the good news of God’s kingdom, healed the sick, cast out demons, and absolved sinners because He cares.  He goes to the cross to die -- all because He cares so deeply!

And so Jesus asks the disciples and us today:  “Why are you so afraid?  How is it that you have no faith?” 

So Jesus gives the disciples, you, and me a bigger dose of Himself.  He wakes up.  Stands up in the boat.  Rebukes the wind and commands the sea to:  “Hush up!  Be still!”   His words do what they say.  No winds.  No waves.  Perfectly calm.  Saved from certain death by drowning by the words from His mouth. 

The disciples and we are nothing.  Jesus is everything!  Who are we compared to Jesus?  Even an asleep at the stern Jesus?  Nothing!  Job learned this lesson too after suffering misfortune and tremendous tragedy in his life.  

“Who is this Jesus then?” the disciples ask each other.  “That even the wind and the sea obey him?” 

Jesus is the One who laid the foundation of the earth.  He set the boundaries for the oceans.  Jesus is the Lord of all – Lord of everything He’s created.  We are not. 

“So why were you so afraid?” Jesus asks.  “Why let wind and waves terrify you when I’m with you?  Do you still have no faith?” 

That is a huge question from the Lord Jesus!  Why are we so afraid?  What do we trust more than Jesus?  Who do we trust more than Jesus?  Especially when our lives are thrown into chaotic disorder? 

What’s the answer?  What’s the honest answer?  It’s because we struggle to believe.  We’d rather not trust Jesus above all things.  We’d rather not love Him with all our heart.  We are bound and determined to reserve control of things and situations for ourselves.  Use this gimmick or that idol to ensure and create our own wellbeing and eternal welfare.  Or to put it this way:  we reserve the right to keep two hands on the rudder because sometimes Jesus is asleep at the stern. 

For this Jesus would lead us to repentance and faith.  The good news is that we are not in control.  Jesus is. 

He is with us in His little boat the holy Christian Church.  Sometimes she appears to be going under as she encounters all sorts of worldly temptations and demonic attacks.  But Jesus remains the captain of His ship.  You’re safe and sound with Him.  He went into the deep sleep of death for you on the cross. 

And in what looked like utter and complete weakness Jesus revealed His power.  For now you are covered in His sin cleansing Blood.  He speaks His holy and saving Name on you in Baptism.  Breathed His own life giving breath into you through the Word of Absolution.  He speaks and gives you His Body and His Blood as the medicine of immortality.  He bespeaks you righteous with His Word of forgiveness.   

“Who is this Jesus that even the winds and the waves obey Him?”  He is the Savior.  Calmly leading you to heaven through every storm and every disaster.  Gently guiding you to trust only in Him even when everything appears to be going under.  Even when it appears that He doesn’t care.

He does.  He took all your fears, your deepest dreads, everything that troubles you, terrifies you, keeps you up at night, causes you to panic in His Body on the cross.  Absorbed it all into His death.  Nailed it all to the tree.  Buried them in His tomb.  And now with His words of “I died for you; you are forgiven; heaven is yours,” everything is calm, ordered, and in peace.

In the Name of Jesus.