That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side." Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus along in a boat just as he was. Other boats were with him. A violent windstorm came up. The waves were breaking into the boat so that it was quickly filling up. But he was sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat. So they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?" Then he got up, ordered the wind to stop, and said to the sea, "Be still, absolutely still!" The wind stopped blowing, and the sea became very calm. He asked them, "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith yet?" They were overcome with fear and asked each other, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!"
Sermon: “Fearful or Fearless?”
Lets review the story. Jesus had spent the day teaching and ministering to the people. Evening was coming when Jesus hurriedly decided that they should cross the sea. he didn't even take time to change clothes or to grab his cloak. (Spoiler alert: on the other side of the lake was a man possessed by a legion of demons, that desperately needed Jesus.)
The disciples, and a small flotilla of other boats, had no problem with this idea since the sea was calm and the wind was favorable. And of course they were experienced boatmen. All was peaceful and the general rocking of the boat lulled the master to sleep.
And then suddenly everything changed. (I'll explain in a minute how fast they can change.) The boat began to bounce and jolt up and down and side to side. High waves crashed across the boat sides. It was filling with water. These fishermen with decades of experience had tried everything that they had ever learned and it wasn't enough. There was a real and present danger that their boats would be swamped, shattered or both. And yet Jesus slept.
The storm swirled around them and they were powerless and terrified so they turned to the the most powerful man that they knew. They woke him and pleaded for their lives. They believed that he had the power to save them.
And yet when they woke him, he was angry with them for their lack of faith. In the translation I used (God's Word) he calls them cowards. In other versions he asks Why are you so afraid, or fearful, or cowardly?
Jesus was angry with his disciples because they were afraid of the storm. Keep in mind that at least four of the men in the boats were fishermen who knew this sea and how violent these storms could be. And this was a bad one.
This storm on the Sea of Galilee is described in three of the Gospels.
Mark 4:37: A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped
Luke 8 describes the wind and raging waves during this storm.
Matthew calls it a furious storm without warning.
Obviously this was not an ordinary storm. This was memorable to three different authors. It makes me think of the flood of ‘93 or 2003 in Iowa. Or Katrin
You know a storm is memorable if you can shorthanded it like that. I'll bet the disciples thought of this as the storm of 3780 (Jewish calendar)
Okay, I said earlier that I would explain how a violent storm could happen so quickly and catch these experienced sailors so off guard. So, here is the science behind these storms.
Such storms result from differences in temperatures between the seacoast and the mountains beyond. The Sea of Galilee is very small,. It lies 680 feet below sea level. It is bounded by hills, especially on the east side where they reach 2000 feet high. These heights are a source of cool, dry air.
In contrast, directly around the sea, the climate is semi-tropical with warm, moist air. The large difference in height between surrounding land and the sea causes large temperature and pressure changes. This results in strong winds dropping to the sea, funneling through the hills
“The Sea of Galilee is small, just 13 miles long and only 8 miles wide and these winds may descend directly to the center of the lake with violent results. When the contrasting air masses meet, a storm can arise quickly and without warning. Small boats caught out on the sea are in immediate danger.
The Sea of Galilee is also relatively shallow, just 200 feet at its greatest depth. A shallow lake is “whipped up” by wind more rapidly than deep water*
So with their knowledge of these waters it would be a normal human reaction to be afraid.
And they weren't without faith in Jesus ability to save them because they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?" So obviously they trusted that he could save them.
So why was he upset with his disciples? Think about that for a moment.
Perhaps he was disappointed in them because, if they truly believed what he was teaching them, they would have known that they were safe in his presence.
Or perhaps he was upset because he had given them the power and ability to work miracles. See 10:17 this is after Jesus had sent 70 people into the surround areas to preach and to heal. “The 70 disciples came back very happy. They said, “Lord, even demons obey us when we use the power and authority of your name!”
So they were well aware of the power they could wield by evoking his name.
Perhaps, if they had a used that faith, and that power they could have calmed the storm themselves.
Had they not listen when he told them about the power of faith? Did they not hear him say, “I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)
He had great plans for them. They were to carry on his ministry in his absence. He would soon tell them,
"I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father.“ (John 14:12)
Jesus knew that his earthly time was nearly over and his followers were still not as prepared as he wanted. I can just imagine him slumped forward and shaking his head. He had to be thinking, “How many times and how many ways have i told them that he must go to Jerusalem and be crucified. And if they can't understand that much, how much more have they not grasped?”
He knew that a night was soon coming when one would betray him and the rest would abandon him. Here would be left alone to defend himself in an illegal mockery of a trial.
It would be as Isiah had prophesied hundreds of years earlier: “He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything. He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him. He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds. We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the LORD has laid all our sins on him. He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth. He was arrested, taken away, and judged. Who would have thought that he would be removed from the world? He was killed because of my people's rebellion. He was placed in a tomb with the wicked. He was put there with the rich when he died, although he had done nothing violent and had never spoken a lie.” (Isaiah 53:3-9)
He also knew that the time was coming when these same water soaked trembling men would stand boldly before their enemies and witness to them that Jesus was the resurrected Messiah.
He knew that, powered by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, these same men would ignite a fire that still burns around the world. It is reported that 1/3rd of of the 7.6 billion people alive today claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And it is due to these men and women witnessing their belief in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. They believed in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. (In case you didn't recognize that it is the first part of the Apostles Creed)
Not bad for a pack of cowards with a faith too small to quiet the storm.
It makes me think that there is hope for the rest of us.
Lord we do believe, help us overcome our unbelief. Amen.
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