Full Sermon Jesus is With Us in Times of Fear based on Mark 6:45-56

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Smooth sailing? When people talk about how life has been going lately, they might say that life has been “smooth sailing” lately. Or they might say that life has been like being on “stormy seas.” Or they might say that in the future “rough waters” are ahead.

II. The hymn. The hymn “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me” was written by Rev. Edward Hopper in the nineteenth century when he was pastor of a New York church for people who made a living by sailing on the sea. While his church members often experienced the actual perils of the sea, many Christians have come to love the hymn, which speaks in picture language of Jesus guiding us through life. The hymn begins with these words: “Jesus, Savior, pilot me Over life’s tempestuous sea; Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rock and treach’rous shoal. Chart and compass come from Thee. Jesus, Savior, pilot me” (LSB715:1).

III. Flying on jets today. These days, when many of us fly on jets more than we sail in ships, Jesus as our pilot might make us think of something different. In the old days, ships often found themselves trapped in the midst of storms that suddenly blew in. There was nowhere to go but ride through them. When you fly, radar can often help the pilot to avoid storms altogether and fly around them.

IV. Jesus and storms and events before this Gospel lesson. In life Jesus does not steer us clear of every storm. In the Gospel lesson from Mark Jesus and His student disciples have been very busy. The student disciples had been busy feeding 5000 men as Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to satisfy and fill up the huge crowd with twelve full baskets of leftovers collected.

V. Disciples in a boat and Jesus in prayer. Jesus sent the student disciples into a boat to go across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, the Creator of wind and waves, could have given them “smooth sailing.” Jesus took some time to pray and be refreshed after the feeding of the 5000 men. But Jesus did not pray for good weather for the men in the boat.

VI. Stretched to breaking point and Murphy’s Law. Jesus does not give us “smooth sailing” everyday either. Some days things seem to stretch us to our breaking point. The car has a flat tire. The computer and TV do not work. The air conditioner goes out. You come down with a cold. Murphy’s Law is in full force: If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Jesus does not steer us clear of every storm in life.

VII. Happy, healthy, and wealthy? We might try to think that storms will not come our way. After all, we are believers in Jesus. Some would say that believers in Jesus should be happy, healthy, and wealthy. If something bad comes our way, then maybe we did something wrong in the past that we are paying for now. If we are not happy, healthy, and wealthy, then we need to pray harder or believe more in Jesus. Or so some people might think.

VIII. Fear troubles and despair and forget God is bigger. We might fear the troubles of life so much that we are tempted to throw up our hands in despair and give up. We might forget that God is bigger than any storm of troubles in life. Sadness can be something that dominates the day and makes sleeping at night difficult, but God can bring joy in the morning and His mercies are new every day. Illness can make life unpleasant, but God can bring healing in His time either later in this life or in the life to come in heaven. Money problems are stressful, but God can help us to grow in faith in Him even when money is tight.

We try to get through the storms of life on our own. We might think we are strong enough to handle whatever comes our way.

IX. Admit our weakness and trust in Jesus. We need to admit that we are not able to handle everything on our own. Trusting in Jesus is the best way to go through the unknown storms of problems that can come upon us at any time.

X. Hurricane hunters and the eye of the storm. The U.S. Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, based in Biloxi, Mississippi, is known as the “Hurricane Hunters.” Their mission is to fly right into tropical storms to gauge their power and movements. No avoiding those storms. There’s much to be learned by going through them—all the way to the eye.

XI. Jesus in middle of storms of life. Just as hurricanes have an eye in the middle of the storm, so also we have Jesus in the middle of the storm. Hurricanes have that calm place in the middle of the storm. Faith in Jesus is our calm place in the middle of the storms of life.

XII. Read Mark 6:50-51 and comment. Instead of steering us clear of every storm, Jesus is with us in the middle of our fear in the storm of life. Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was walking on the Sea of Galilee as the storm was tossing the boat around that the disciples of Jesus were in and they were terrified. They were filled with fear. Jesus calmed their fears. Mark 6:50-51 tells us, “But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded.”

XIII. Jesus in the midst of fears and storms. Jesus is the One to look to in the midst of the fears and storms of life. Even if the car has a flat tire. The computer and TV do not work. The air conditioner goes out. You come down with a cold. Murphy’s Law is in full force: If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Jesus is there with us. Jesus reminds us, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Jesus is with us in the boat of life. He can help us no matter how much fear we have in life. Maybe He will send someone to change the tire and put on the spare tire for us. Maybe He will help us find someone to fix the air conditioner. Maybe He will direct us to a doctor who prescribes some medicine to get rid of the cold. Even if everything seems to go wrong, Jesus is with us to help us weather the storm.

XIV. Greatest storm ever with Jesus on the cross. Jesus went through the greatest storm ever on the cross for us. Jesus took all our sins and wrongs and fears and died on the cross for us. Even as Jesus was dying, He comforted one of the men dying on a cross beside Him, saying, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” Jesus conquered our sins and wrongs and our biggest enemy of death on the cross. Thanks to Jesus death is not the end for us. In our greatest fears, Jesus says, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.”

XV. Jesus does not give up on us and read Mark 6:54-56. When we get through the storm, we might be astonished or have hardened hearts like the student disciples of Jesus in the boat. Jesus keeps on working on us though. He does not give up on us. What took place when they arrived at the shore? Mark 6:54–56 lets us know: “And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.”

XVI. Conclusion. So, when we get through the storm and our fear is taken away, we do not want to be hardhearted and think we have things made in life. We trust in Jesus and praise and thank Him for getting us through the storm. We pray to Jesus to help us remember when the next storm of troubles tempts us to be full of fear that He will be with us and give us comfort and peace. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.