Pentecost3B 2006
Job 38:1-11
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41
At our last Beer and Bible Study we were talking about how
nice it would be to have one of those “Easy” buttons. Have
you seen the ads? If you want to
organize your office,
you just push the “easy button” and poof! clean, neat,
organized! Or how about the office that
starts raining ink cartridges! All because someone has sat on the “easy” button. Or my favorite, the Chinese emperor going into battle
against the Barbarians. The box is
opened, the “easy” button is pushed and bingo!
up comes the
So I went to Staples and got one of these buttons. But I pushed it and no ink! No full sanctuary! No clean house!
But wouldn’t it be nice?
Wouldn’t it be nice if these things actually worked? Push—laundry washed, dried, folded, and put
away!! Push-the lawn is mowed. Push—the homework is done!
What would you want to happen at the push of a button?
But we all know much of life doesn’t work that way. Actually, I can’t think of very many things
at all that are “easy.”
Sometimes we are led to believe that faith should make life
easy. If only I give
my heart to Jesus, than everything else about my life will simply fall into
place. If only
I believe hard enough the rest will be easy. If only I trust enough, all will be easy for
me (like making money or being popular).
Do you think the disciple thought this? Even a little? After all, here is a guy named Jesus who can heal
the sick, get rid of demons, feed a crowd with just a little food. Maybe life will be easy if we follow this one!
He has power, power from where, the disciple aren’t quite clear on. But there is power there. Although after that last parable, the one about the
mustard see, we have our doubts.
Anyway,
Jesus has been teaching the crowds and now it is evening and it
is time to get away. So the disciples happen
to have a boat. Jesus gets in and off
they go, across the lake. It has been a
long day, and
with the gentle rocking of the boat Jesus falls asleep.
But then the storm comes, a violent storm, common on this lake but dangerous all the
same. The boat is getting swamped, the disciples are
starting to panic. And Jesus? Jesus is sleeping like a baby, curled up on a
cushion.
The disciples are afraid.
Now, it
is not manly for men to show fear in this culture. But there it is, the storm is bad, the boat is in danger, the storm shows no sign of abating. The
easy button isn’t working…
They wake up Jesus! “Teacher,
Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing!” Quick!
Do something! How can you sleep at a time like this!
Jesus wakes up.
Yawns, rubs his eyes,
looks around and says, “Peace,
be still.”
The wind ceases and there is a dead calm. So, why were you afraid? Have you no faith? Why did you worry?
Worry? There’s a good
one. Of course we were worried! There was a storm and high waves!
I found some statistics on worrying. Stress managers tell us that only 2% of our “worrying”
time is spent on something that might actually be helped by worrying. 40% is spent on things that never
happen. 35% on things
that can’t be changed. 15% on things that turn out better than expected. 8% on useless, petty
worries.
Yeah, we worry. Not
that it does us much good. And often
worry most over things we have no control over, like the weather. or the economy.
It is hard to stay calm when there is a storm raging around
us. How does Jesus do it? How does he stay so calm? Could it be faith?
Now,
stopping the wind and stilling the waves is not like pushing that
easy button.
Sure, it is quiet and still.
The boat won’t be swamped after all.
The lives of the disciples are saved.
Everyone gets to take a deep breath and calm down. Wow!
Who is this guy? (the disciples in the Gospel of Mark never really catch on).
But then what? It is
quiet. It is still. But the boat is no longer moving. And it is still in the middle of the lake. And the shore is way over there. And there is no wind in the sails….get the
picture?
Jesus has quieted the storm.
But he hasn’t beamed the boat up on shore. Now there is work to be done. The disciples will have to pull out the oars
and work hard to pass through the still waters and get to shore.
And learn how to be calm even in the midst of the
storm. That doesn’t mean we don’t care
or feel or desire peace. It means that
we trust that the God of the storm is also the God of the calm.
And that it isn’t easy.
Trust.
God doesn’t just toss us up on the shore. But God gives us the oars and a direction and
lets us go at it. It is hard work, being the church. It is hard work being a non-anxious church in
the middle of an anxious world. It is
hard work being a peaceful church in the middle of a fearful world. It is hard work being a faithful church in
the middle of a shifting sea.
There isn’t an easy button that will work here. Job found that out. He didn’t get a nice, pat, theologically
correct answer for the dilemma he found himself in. There was no rational explanation offered.
Just God. The God who created
the earth, set out the morning stars that sang together and the heavenly being
that shouted for joy.
Even Jesus speaks in parables and stories. Making us think and wonder and then act the
best we can. Jesus, who comes from God, who is no domestic
being, one we can understand and
tame. But a powerful mighty one who can
control even the wind and the waves.
If you’ve been to Narnia you know
this God. C.S. Lewis uses a Lion to
portray him.
“Aslan is a lion -- the Lion, the
great Lion." "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is
he -- quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and make no
mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver
than most or else silly." "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver, "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells
you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's
the King, I tell you." The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Of course he isn’t safe.
But he’s good. And he isn’t
afraid, but he’s calm. And he isn’t
easy. But he’s merciful.
And he doesn’t do everything for us, but gives us the
strength and the hope to do what must be done.
And even when it looks like the storm will never stop, like
the boat is going under, like Jesus is asleep in the stern. God is present. Calm, peaceful, vigilant. Waiting for us to settle down and row
together.
So much for the “easy” button. I wonder if they have one that says “Trust”…..