Why the Fear? The Dark (Mark 4:35-41)

Asleep on the job

A few years back, a police department up in the Northeast added an additional dispatcher to an overnight shift as a safety precaution out of concern that one person wasn’t enough. The one dispatcher working was quite vocal that only one dispatcher was needed overnight, but over time, it became evident that the reason the dispatcher enjoyed working by himself was that he had been sleeping on the job. Literally. Security cameras found on multiple occasions the dispatcher reaching for a pillow and blanket once the building was empty. He was fired. And that wasn’t all. The investigation into the dispatcher found that two other overnight dispatchers were also sleeping on the job. They were fired as well. The Madison, Connecticut police department assured the public that no calls were missed and safety was never at risk, even though the overnight dispatchers had been sleeping on the job.

Those kinds of stories don’t give people a lot of confidence in agencies whose main purpose is public safety. We want our law enforcement, we want our fire and EMT squads, we want our military to be on high alert all of the time. That alertness is aimed at calming fear when I feel threatened or I don’t feel safe. We fear when our safety or health is at risk.

Many of us felt that fear during COVID. I know I did. Some of you have felt that with your own health scares. In fact, think about that phrase: “health scare”. That phrase comes from our fear when our health is not what it should be and the doctor’s news isn’t all that great.

And into our fear, comes this question that runs right to the heart of our fear and gives us a really good jolt: Why are you afraid? Why are you afraid of the bad news from the doctor? Why are you afraid of the empty bank account? Why are you afraid that God stopped listening to you? Why are you afraid you’re not good enough? Name your fear right now… and immediately follow it with this: Why are you afraid?

Of all the questions Jesus could ask, he asks this one. It’s a question we aren’t interested in answering. We push back: why? why do you think I’m afraid? I’ve got this, this, and this I’m dealing with. Have you heard that conversation? Have you not heart the threats? Are you unaware of what’s happening at my job? Have you not seen my bank account? Are you not aware the devil is active here? Don’t you see my sin? Why are you asking why are you afraid?

That leads us to Mark 4. Pretty scary stuff here in Mark 4. This is real life. This is fear due to lack of control. We think we have control. We spend billions trying to control the stuff going on in this story. No amount of money, though, can fix what happens here… no amount of money can calm this fear here.

The Storm

When we come to this story in Mark chapter 4, Jesus and his disciples are again getting away from the crowd. It seems like there’s always something about to happen when the gospel writer says something to the effect that “they left the crowd”. There’s also something about boats and stories in the Bible. They seemingly never end well.

They get in a boat with Jesus and head to the other side of the lake for some social distancing from the crowds. And here’s what the text says:

Mark 4:37 “A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.”

There are a few things in the story we want to highlight this morning. The first is the wind and the waves. The wind and the waves are two of the main characters of the story. They dominate the scene. Boats are supposed to be safety from the elements. Boats are built to provide security in what can be an unstable situation. But here… it’s not working. The boat is no match for the wind and the waves which are swamping the boat with water.

It’s also worth pointing out. The writer of this biography of Jesus, St. Mark, tells us that there were other boats out there. This is the only boat getting swamped. The other boats seem safe. This boat is taking on water.

But there’s another main character in this story is the main character of all of these stories. Jesus. And where is Jesus? Jesus is asleep in the boat. That’s quite a contrast being painted. A windstorm with waves swamping the boat. Jesus, asleep in the boat. Not exactly what one would expect in the middle of a storm on a lake. Jesus is tired. Jesus is sleeping. And a storm is not waking him up.

The Fear and Accusation

There is one more set of characters. You have the windstorm and the waves, and you have Jesus. Two contrasts of violence and peace. And on which side of that equation are the disciples going to fall? All of the noise? Or quiet peace?

Yeah… they side with the windstorm and the waves. They add to the noise. You’d think fishermen who’ve spent most of their lifetime making a living on this very lake would know a thing or two about storms, water, and boats. But whatever this is, this has them freaked. Their response seems to point to the fact that the storm is most likely a sinister storm. Dark. Evil. Bad news.

Here’s their response:

Mark 4:38 The disciples woke Jesus up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

Whatever is up with this storm, their response is anything but normal. They are as shocked as we are in reading that Jesus is asleep. But there’s also a bit of frustration and fear and even some accusation…

Don’t you care that we’re going to die?

Uh… that escalated quickly. From windstorm to swamping the boat to “we’re all gonna die”. You can almost hear the hysterics. Jesus is not doing what they expect. This questions has two parts, the first of which is unbelievable… Don’t you care? How do we get from Jesus is the greatest thing since sliced bread to “Don’t you care?” They are reading the motivations of a sleeping guy in their boat. We have a storm. The boat is being swamped. Yeah, it was a big day teaching and all, but we’re about to die. You don’t care.

The second part of the question involves another unbelievable statement:

We’re going to die.

They are in a boat with the creator of the universe. Are you serious? We’re all going to die? It’s not enough to accuse the Creator of not caring. They go one further with a statement that presumes an unknown outcome.

But before we get all righteous and judgmental on the disciples… we have to say… this is us. We’ve been there. Help God… I’m gonna die. And you don’t care. How come you’re sleeping on me? God isn’t doing what we want him to. He certainly isn’t now. How come you’re sleeping on us? Why can’t I go where I want to, be where I want to? I’ve got things to do, places to be, people to see… and you. don’t. care. We’re going to die.

The Challenge of Jesus

Jesus wakes up. And he doesn’t even talk to them. He stands up in the boat and, instead… speaks to the windstorm and the waves.

Mark 4:39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

This is the stuff of Hollywood. He stands up and seems to ignore the disciples and instead speaks to the wind and lake. And it all shuts up. What was absolute noise and pandemonium within seconds is reduced to the stillness and lap of the water up against the side of the boat. Absolutely surreal. Noise to nothing in seconds.

The disciples asked: “Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” And here’s Jesus response:

Mark 4:40 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Jesus challenges their notions that he doesn’t care or that they were going to die. And he does it with two questions. It’s very easy for me to sit here and recoil at the first question… Don’t you care that we’re going to die? Why are you afraid? If I’m Peter, I’m internally scoffing at Jesus’s bluntness. Are you kidding? Why are we afraid? We were gonna die. But then Jesus asks the second question and nobody is scoffing. Do you still have no faith? You don’t believe in me, do you? That’s the heart of the fear, really. It’s easy for us to see that this fear is driven by the survival instinct and Jesus wanted his disciples and us to see the fear for what it is… a lack of faith in the one who is sleeping in the boat.

The Wrong Fear

And that brings us to the third question that caps this story.

Mark 4:41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Mark is a great storyteller. It’s all been shocking. Jesus sleeping in the boat during a storm and hysterical disciples. Jesus shuts down the storm with his word. And now this… they were terrified. Jesus’ rebuke doesn’t calm their fear.. it’s intensified. Their fear has gone exponential. They are no longer afraid of the storm. They’re afraid of Jesus. That faith Jesus is talking about… he has their attention. In fact, they only thought that the storm and the water were the biggest and baddest things out on that lake. Nope. This fear is fueled by faith… they are seeing Jesus in a new light. All along, it wasn’t the storm they should have been afraid of. Remember Jesus’s words… don’t fear him who kills the body. Fear him who can kill the soul. That’s this. That’s at the heart of their penetrating question at the end.

“Who, then is this?”

That’s their question. That’s the question on the lips of Mark’s audience? It’s the question Mark’s community of faith is asking… it’s our question.

This is the one who speaks and creation obeys. This is the one who controls the wind and the waves. This is the one who controls absolutely everything, including all things related to the very Kingdom of God about which he’s been talking all day. That guy controls your destiny, your soul.

The Promise

There is no promise here that Jesus will get rid of the storm. The promise here is that Jesus is bigger than the storm. In fact, the promise in this story was with them all along, and had they been paying attention, they would have put their faith in Jesus and the promise right from the get go. Here’s the Promise:

Mark 4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”

The One who created the wind and the waves, the One who is with us in our boat is the One who Promised “Let’s cross over to the other side.” If Jesus says “Let’s cross over to the other side”, what is he promising. That everyone is going to cross over to the other side. And what happens?

Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea.

This is all you and I and the disciples need to know. Jesus makes good on his promises. Jesus cares. His promises can be believed. Really, all we need from this story is the beginning and the ending:

Mark 4:35 Jesus told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”

Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea.

What Jesus promised, happened just like he said. We’re crossing over. They crossed over. But in between… a storm. A crisis. An accusation. Jesus’ love and Jesus’ grace. Jesus being with His disciples. All in between Jesus making the promise and then delivering on the promise.

And that’s what it is for us. Jesus has given us his promises. Jesus has given himself. And He has delivered on that promise to save us. There will be storms. There will be threats to our salvation. Threats to our faith. Threats to us.

If there’s any doubt whatsoever…. That guy cares!!!! Jesus cares. He does care.. don’t you get it? When he asks… why are you afraid, where’s your faith in me… he wants you to see that he can be trusted when he is sleeping. Jesus slept. The big moment in this story isn’t for us or the disciples or anyone to have the faith for Jesus to wake up and tell the storm to go away. No! Jesus says, why are you afraid? Why are you afraid of the storm? The One who created the wind and the water and the sea is the one sleeping in the boat. At rest. During the storm. If Jesus is sleeping in the boat, the worst thing that can happen to me isn’t that I die in the storm. The worst thing that can happen to me is that Jesus goes missing from the boat and he is no longer with me. If Jesus is with me in the boat, awake or sleeping… it’s all right with me. My faith must be in Jesus during the storm. Even if the storm never dies down… my faith is in Jesus. That’s the answer to fear.

Don’t you care we’re going to die? How many times have I said that in my lifetime to Jesus. What a sinner I am in need of forgiveness. I go there way too often because I think life is about me. My wants. My needs. My job. My plans. My health. And the creator of the universe asks… why are you afraid? Are you still not trusting me? You see… that creator of the universe died for us, forgives us, gives us his life. He cares. He cares. You see… he’s with us in the boat and He has promised that we will get to the other side. It’s the only thing that matters.

Let’s Pray.

The Table

The object of our faith is with us today. Who is your faith in? Who is the object of your faith? Place your faith again, in the one who has the power over the wind and the waves, life and death and sickness and health… That One, Jesus, died for us so that we would never fear. He provides us forgiveness. Here. He gives us life. Here. He gives us salvation. Here. Why are you afraid? My body and my blood are for you. This is my Promise FOR YOU.