May I speak in the name of the Living God whose power can open our hearts and minds Amen.
Today’ s readings are both about God’s power. The Old Testament reading describes the outpouring of God the Father’ s love in creating the universe. The gospel reading reveals the power of God in Christ, power over nature.
Two years ago in early March I read the entire book of Exodus at a single sitting to find out more about Moses because someone told me I kept making excuses to God like Moses had - you can’ t mean me, I’ m not good enough, find someone else etc. The words ‘ My presence will go with you and I will give you rest’ jumped off the page. But I never ever imagined that one day I’ d be standing here preaching on the theme of God’ s power and His ability to bring peace. The fact that I’ m doing so is evidence of God’ s power at work today.
I’ d like us to think about what happened before the stilling of the storm, an event which Matthew and Mark also record. Jesus had been with his disciples teaching in western Galilean towns and villages, healing many - followed by so many crowds wherever he went that his family couldn’ t get near him. He spoke with tremendous authority, quite unlike the religious leaders the people knew. He had charisma, compassion, humility, energy, a rock solid integrity that drew ordinary people to him like a magnet but enraged the scribes and Pharisees. The imprisoned John the Baptist was so taken aback by the hype about Jesus that he sent his disciples to ask are you the promised Messiah? Jesus didn’ t say Yes I am or No I’ m not. His answer challenged John and is still challenging us today ‘ go and tell John what you see and hear. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’
Then Jesus decides it’s time to move on - to cross the lake of Galilee east into Gadara. The disciples - we don’ t know how many - get in the boat with him. We know from the remains of a fishing boat discovered in Magdala in 1986 that this boat was likely to have been a simple sailing boat about 9 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and 1.25 metres high. Mark says ‘other boats were with them’ which suggests everyone set out for the other side of the lake. It’ s likely that Jesus’ most trusted disciples - Peter, James and John were in the boat with him. Peter was no wimp. He was an independent self employed fisherman - used to hauling in huge trawl nets full of fish, used to the cold, used to silence, used to the sudden storms which often blew up on the Lake of Galilee, a coper - a man at one with nature but mystified by Jesus.
This could be Peter’ s story. It is based on the Biblical accounts. ‘ Let’s cross the lake.’ he said so I got in the boat with Jesus. James and John joined us. Jesus was tired. I could see that. He’d not stopped for weeks. Sometimes I wondered how he kept going. He did keep going off to pray early in the morning and late in the day - maybe that was his secret. There was a cushion in the stern and before long Jesus fell fast asleep. Looking back it seemed as if that’s when the storm started - just as he closed his eyes.
The wind howled. The waves crashed against the sides of the boat. But the water poured in faster than we could take the sail down and bale out. The sky was black - threatening. We couldn’t see the other boats and there Jesus was - asleep. The boat was heaving. So was I. My terror mounted. Soon my reason deserted me. I could see a huge wave making for us. We were going to drown. We had to get help - wake Jesus up. He took a bit of shaking but came to when he saw the panic on our faces. I thought he’d set to - help us. But no! He stood up! Had he lost it? The boat could overtopple at any minute. Jesus just stood there - perfectly calm and started talking to the wind and the waves! ‘ Quiet! Be still!’ I’ d never seen anything like it. That wind died down. The lake was calm again. Reminded me of what we heard every Sabbath - how God parted the Red Sea for our ancestors to escape from Egypt. I knew Jesus was special but this left me speechless. Then he turned to us. ‘ Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ Afraid ? I’ d been pole-axed with terror. So I didn’ t answer him. We were all frightened now - a different fear. We thought we’ d known Jesus. We’ d spent our every waking hour with him and then he gets up and talks to the wind and waves. It was scary. Awesome. Made your flesh creep - hair stand on end. Then I realised I didn’ t know Jesus at all. Never had.
We can learn from Peter and the other disciples. Fear immobilises. It turns us to jelly. But if we’ re in the presence of someone calm we feel safe, reassured, that despite our fears all things will be well. We all need calming people in our lives. We all need to learn how to calm others. The source of this calm is God. Do we hear Jesus’ call across the centuries
‘Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest’
What answer do we give when anyone asks us about Jesus? Do we know - really know - that in Jesus, in Christ - God entered our world - worked and lived and suffered among us. Has that sunk in? What sense do we make of the answer Jesus gave to the disciples of John the Baptist? Has it registered that it was God in Christ in that boat? God in Christ - in control? Do we know - really know that God’ s presence WILL go with us and give us peace?
Day after day the sun rises and the moon sets. Day after day our hearts pump keeping us alive. All we have to do is breathe - an automatic process. We may not be aware of God’ s presence, we may not see him, may not hear him but He is here - always here. We may deny God exists. We may push Him away. It makes no difference. He’s still here - waiting, watching, holding, caring, loving. God will never leave us. God is in the storms of life with us. We do not need to know how Jesus stilled that storm. All we need to know is that God IS at work in our world - working in all things. There’ s nothing, ‘no power of hell, no scheme of man, ‘ nothing .. ‘ in all creation, (which) will (ever) be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ‘
In the name of Christ our Living Lord: Amen
Bible reading Genesis 2 v. 4b- 9, 15 - end
Luke 8 v. 22 - 25
© Christine M Shilling UK 2007