Why are you Afraid?

Introduction: “Why are you so Afraid?”

Response to Fear:

Fight or flight

Freeze: Shakespeare: “Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly.”

Boat:

Fight? Fists up!

Flight? Jumping out of the boat isn’t really an option.

Freeze:

In a frozen voice: WHO IS THIS GUY?

Is this guy safe to be around?

Jesus picks this up and asks the question: “Why are you so afraid?”

The storm is gone. The sea is calm… But the disciples are actually more terrified staring at Jesus then they were facing death in the storm!

“Why are you so afraid?” is the question we will wrestle through this morning:

Part I: Why are you So Afraid?

Part I: “Why are you so Afraid?”

Mark 4 begins with Jesus teaching beside the sea.

- Such a large crowd that he has to get into a boat as a stage.

Parable of the Sower

Parable of a Lamp under a basket

Parable of the Growing Seed

Parable of the Mustard Seed

Evening, Jesus comes up with the idea: “Let us go across the other side.”

v. 37: MEGA Storm came swooping in

Waves broke over the boat.

Boat: “Nearly swamped” with water

Where was Jesus?

Asleep on the stern.

Love this detail: “asleep on a cushion.”

“Teacher, do you not care what we are perishing?”

Quite the question, isn’t it?

“Teacher, savior who came to remove my sin and provide the way to eternal life… Do you not care that we are perishing?”

Most inappropriate question in the entire Bible!

“Peace!”

NOT “Shalom”

“Quiet!” “Silence!”

“Be still”

Word used to describe placing a muzzle over an animal.

“Put a muzzle on it!”

For those of you who have a barking dog:

Same deal: Stop it!

With your relationship with your dog, who’s in charge?

You “OWN” a dog!

Jesus owns this ferocious squall

Fascinating story up to this point:

Fear of death!

But this story forces us to take a look at the deep fears. This is a story that helps steers us towards bigger ticket fears. What are we made of when we face death itself...

This passage forces to put our big boy and girl pants on!

When the rubber hits the road, what will we do?

Will we experience silence from the stern below as abandonment?

Will we see Jesus calm in the storm as apathy towards our cause?

Will our cries to Jesus drip with accusations or with professions?

For example: Elizabeth Alexander:

Post from Nov 20, 2022: This weekend has felt dark and heavy for me. As the beginning of chemo looms large tomorrow, my mind and heart have gone to dark places. I've dreaded particular potential side effects and how I might physically feel this week. I've pictured my precious little family without me in it - becoming a picture on the bookshelf or mantle, missing the moments, Caleb not remembering me as he gets older. This is devastating and heavy to consider this possibility.  I know this is a natural fear, and it's not where my heart and mind need to rest long. Cancer or no cancer, we are not guaranteed a tomorrow.

We are not guaranteed a tomorrow indeed!

Part II: “Have you still no faith?”

Connection between Fear and Faith

Mark 5:35-36 “35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.””

That question is literally translated, You don’t yet have faith?

Similarities between Jonah and Mark 4

Jonah 1

II. Similarities

Leaving ‘Safety Zone’ by Boat

- Leaving God’s land and heading out into Gentile territory.

- Tarshish=Spain

- Other side of the Sea of Galilee= Decapolis

Main ‘Character’ is Soundly Sleeping

- Jonah= trance

- Jesus= Sleeping on a pillow

- Only reference to Jesus sleeping in the Gospels!

Mega Storm

Jonah 1:4: God sent a GREAT Storm

‘Mega’ Storm

Divine intervention

- God sent the storm in Jonah

- But Jesus ‘exorcises’ the Sea

Mark 1.25: “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”

Mega Fear:

Jonah 1:5 “5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.”

- “Feared a Great Fear”

- What do you think? Mega fear!

More fear after the sea is calmed!

Sailers after the Miracle:

Jonah 1:16 “16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.”

2 Part:

1. Feared the Lord

2. Placed their FAITH in the Lord

A collection of pagan sailers!!

Result=FAITH in YHWH

Disciples after the Miracle:

Mark 4:41 “41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?””

Important: Almost identical wording in the Septuagint:

Jonah 1:16: And the men feared—a great fear… The Lord

Mark 4:41: And the disciples feared—a great fear Disciples are stuck in their fear. They don’t necessary fear the Lord, but they ask the question:

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

“Who is this??” Well, Jonah gives us the answer=THE LORD!

Challenge: Will you remain paralyzed in your fear, or will you fear the LORD??

Will dread about a circumstance drive you to faith?

Why is this important?

Youth people! You don’t know if you’re doing to live tomorrow!

Passage gives us a sense of urgency!

Important to note:

No other event yet has led to the type of fear the disciples experience after Jesus calms the storm.

Up to this point, it was cool and convenient to be associated with Jesus. But this… The power Jesus wields in this moment is too much.

!!Following Jesus is NOT about convenience or coolness!!

Convenience of coolness will not get you to see who JESUS REALLY IS as the STORM STOPPER!

Three Times the Disciples Fear in Mark’s Gospel:

Storm

Jesus walks on water

Power over unpredictability!

Control of Chaos

Stands above that which seeks to kill and destroy.

When the rubber hits the road for you, when the powers of unpredictability an chaos take over, will you cry out in faith!!

Conclusion:

Third Time the Disciples are Afraid...

Part III: Why are you so afraid in the face of the resurrection?

Mark 16:5-8

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

If you have a Bible, most likely it’ll have a note:

ESV: “Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9-20”

NIV: “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20.”

Common English Bible: “Ending added later”

Not a debate about textual criticism, but my point is this: IF Mark’s original ending concluded with the word “Afraid,” WHY??

Mark was clearly trying to make a point...

Because this book was written to Christians in Rome who were under the threat of persecution. That was their storm, and it was a very real. When Christians are under that kind of stormy situation, you can just imagine how doubt can creep in. You can imagine how the fear of getting caught worshipping Jesus would start impacting one’s ability to worship altogether.

How will the Christian respond to the empty tomb?

Will their FEAR morph into FAITH? OR will FEAR drive them away from FAITH?

v. 39: Peace: It was in the mega calm that the disciples experienced “mega” fear

IMPORTANT: Mark’s original copy INCLUDES the empty Tomb

Story of Dorina

I know I shared with some of you the story of Dorina. How at 78 years of age she was stuck in her home when the flash flood engulfed her home and the water began to rise and she was unable to open the doors or windows to get out. And after bailing water into her tub for 4 hours, how she crawled into her bed with one candle “like a little bird into a nest” (as she described it) believing that she would drown in her bed overnight as the water was 2 inches from the top of her mattress. And how she said to me it was OK as she knew if she passed she would be “going to Heaven”. I forgot to share that after she was rescued the next day by the National Guard and waiting till it was safe to re-enter her damaged home she thought she would plug in her CD player to see if it worked. She told me how it began playing the following song by Tom Hayes. “I will rejoice in the God of my Salvation. Though the days are dark and grey our God will not betray, there will be a brighter day, I will rejoice”.

Dorina gets it! If you were in Dorina’s shoes; if that was you treading water; if that was you in bed; would you go to sleep in worship?