Sleepy Storm

Matt 8:23-27

The disciples face the storm, and they are afraid. They are afraid they will die. They are afraid Jesus doesn’t care (Mark 4:38). The disciples are afraid because they have lost the illusion of control. Jesus has the faith to sleep through the storm. Jesus calms the storm as an act of comfort to the little-faiths. If we are on mission for Jesus, the storms of life take us exactly where we are going. Let us have faith to rest in Christ, so certain of His power and presence that we can sleep through the storm.

Drowning in Malibu

35 years ago, I nearly very almost died.

We had pen pals, I was in first grade, he was in 4th. And at the end of the year, we drove and spent the day on the Malibu beach with our older pen pals.

You know what a rip tide is? It’s when the water under the service is being pulled powerfully out to the sea, even while the water on top might be coming in.

The rip tide got me. I was under the wave, rolled around and around, and couldn’t find my feet, couldn’t get up , couldn’t find the surface… I’m starting to freak out, I’m going to die here!

And then my guy, my pen pal, my unnamed hero, he just picks me up and goes “are you okay?”

And I say “Oh, yeah, totally fine. Thanks!”

Good times. No big deal.

Maybe the closest I ever felt to “it’s all over, now I die.”

Kind of sad I don’t remember that dude’s name.

Get in the Boat

The crowds were gathering, so Jesus went across the lake. Let’s go “to the other side.”

Where are they Going?

Matthew 8:28 ESV

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.

So it always helps me to picture the landscape in terms I am more familiar with. If Costco is Caesarea, up at HWY 7 and I-25, then the Gadarenes is right about the Denver Zoo. 17 miles South, though Gadarenes is a bit further East.

So we can see about what the “other side” would be, 10ish miles across the lake to the SE, no exact idea where they would have “docked” the boat.

So that’s where they are going.

How are they Going?

This is a 2000 year old boat they discovered preserved near the Sea of Galilee. They call it the Jesus boat or the Galilee boat. A drought in 1986 had the sea level at record lows and they found this preserved in the mud and carbon dated it back to around Jesus’ lifetime. Crazy.

A boat like this would carry up to 15 people, would have a mast and single sail in the middle.

… and this is me sailing the Sea of Galilee in a similar reconstructed boat… except this one has an engine. I know you wanted to see that.

Do you see the raging waves in the background? No?

That’s because there aren’t any. The Sea of Galilee is placid. There’s a breeze on this day, it gets even flatter when there isn’t a breeze.

And in fact, the Sea of Galilee is below sea level, and in the Jordan Valley protected by mountains on both sizes… all of that conspire to make a remarkably stable weather system.

So there are almost never significant storms in the region. Some windy days, breezy days, sure… but almost nearly never a significant storm.

Matthew 8:23–24 ESV

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

Let’s give the disciples the benefit of the doubt. This is a picture of worst storm every recorded in the Sea of Galilee in modern history. 1992. And those waves look kind of bad in that picture, I think the wind and waves do some structural damage to that building.

But it’s because the building is right up on the shore line… which is really a testament to how stable things are around the lake in usual conditions.

And even those waves are maybe 6 feet? This is decent surf conditions, not a raging storm in the Pacific. At the end of the day, it’s a lake.

But, okay, it’s a small boat. And quite possibly the worst storm the disciples have ever been in because, well, they’ve never sailed Cape Corn… or the Ocean at all.

But Jesus… he’s asleep. Perhaps he has Divine Son-of-God sleep powers… or maybe it’s not all that bad. Bad enough that water is getting in the boat, but Jesus is sleeping.

Matthew 8:25 ESV

And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”

Jesus “we are all going to die!!!!” Help!!!

The Gospel of Mark, which I believe is largely Peter’s testimony, records a bit more emotion in that. A bit more accusation, even.

Mark 4:37–38 ESV

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Asleep on the cushion. Just a pillow, chilling. Snoring maybe. Relaxing, enjoying the rise and fall of the waves, the spray of wind and water on his face.

And they woke him up. Rude.

DON’T YOU CARE???

I hear accusation in that. Criticism. That’s more than “help me,” that’s either accusing him of laziness… or a lack of empathy, or something.

Don’t you care that we are dying! Actually “perishing?!” That’s a more dramatic word.

I don’t know how real the danger is.

Certainly they thought the danger was real. But Jesus, apparently, did not. And he questions their fear.

Matthew 8:26–27 ESV

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Mark tells it with a few more words, how did he rebuke the winds and the sea?

Mark 4:39–41 ESV

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 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?”

They were afraid, asked for help, accusatory, then they are filled with GREAT fear, this time fear of Jesus.

And this is a right fear. The “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” They get an inkling of his power, for the wind and the sea obey him.

But they only understand a shadow.

Little Faiths

In both texts, and in many places to come, Jesus calls the disciples “little faiths.” This word is unique, only in the New Testament, only in the Synoptics, really only to the disciples. It’s like a sweet pet name Jesus has for the disciples. Oh you “little faiths.”

Why are you afraid, o you little faiths?

Out of Control

I think this is why they were afraid.

I’ve done a lot of crazy things. I’ve jumped off buildings, I’ve ridden a bike off a roof into a pool, I’ve jumped out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute, I’ve driven a motorcycle way too fast. I’ve told my wife to “calm down.” I’m telling you, I’ve seen some things!

But most of them I felt like I had a measure of control.

Rolling around in the waves, caught by the rip tide in Malibu, unable to stand, unable to breathe… I lost any measure, any illusion of control.

I think this control piece is what it comes down to. The disciples were fine, some of them are professional fishermen, these are boat people. At least Simon can swim, maybe some others. These are home waters, they know this lake. They were all for it when it felt in their control.

But then it was out of their hands.

And maybe Jesus could help… but he’s asleep, and obviously he can’t do anything if he’s asleep!

That’s the limits they have on Jesus.

I want to preach the sermon that Jesus can calm your storm. Can he? Absolutely he can, he is master of the wind and waves… and his power doesn’t end beyond the metaphor.

When Jesus says “Peace, Shalom, be still...” the Universe holds it’s breath. You have Supernova’s saying “Wait, is He talking to me?”

Jesus is Sovereign over every struggle, every circumstance.

No matter how fearful we are. No matter how scary it gets.

And he is compassionate when we are afraid. It doesn’t mean he will always make it go “poof.” He doesn’t. He won’t. He is working his purpose in the storm and in the stillness.

Because He is Sovereign over the storm, we can trust him in the midst of it. We can know we will reach the other side simply because he says “Let us go across to the other side.” That’s a check we can take to the bank.

Because He is Sovereign over the storm, faith, great faith, faith in Christ can sleep through the storm. Go grab a corner of Jesus’ pillow.

Faith is trusting what we do know in the face of what we don’t know.

Faith is trusting who we know in circumstances where we don’t know what’s next.

Faith is going forward when it’s out of our control.

So I know some of your life feels out of your control. Because of how it is. In fact, most of the “control” we have is an illusion.

It’s all in His hands. It always was. Even when Jesus seems asleep.

Storms at Webster Lake

This is super real for us right now. Real for our church, real for our family.

Some of you know, this last Thursday we had the Chief of Police for Northglenn show up at our Thursday park lunch. He started by asking some questions, but in follow-up conversation, he made it clear that he had been tasked with “shutting this down.”

The city has received enough complaints from enough folks about “blight” and the idea is that this is bringing in dangerous people.

I think that’s bogus. The people are there, we are serving and loving on folks, and many people would just rather pretend they don’t exist or that they don’t see them. And that’s hard to do when we gather together in the park.

They may use permits, they may try health codes, they may pass a new rule or law, but they so far seem committed to shutting it down.

That’s a storm. That’s some rising wind and waves.

We, as a church, will pay attention and seek the Lord. Seek Jesus. But that is the only voice that matters. We are in the park serving lunch on Thursdays at noon because that was the next step he led us to when he said “let’s go to the other side.”

And if, when, as he leads us to shift or change or adapt we will joyfully and gladly, and here’s the key, fearlessly.

Because He and He alone is the Master of the Wind and Waves. And he will and does give us the command and the opportunities to love on His people regularly and intentionally.

There’s a bit more.

KK, aka Ranger Karen, is obviously directly associated with the ministries of our church. And even though she doesn’t lead this ministry, didn’t start it, doesn’t organize it, doesn’t serve it, the Chief of Police sees this as a conflict of interest, her as an impediment to him shutting this down, and it seems like wheels are in motion to fire her in the next week or so.

We don’t know for sure, prayers are welcome, but that certainly seems the direction so far.

That’s a storm. That’s some rising wind and waves.

But KK has said from day one that this is a season… and we always knew this job would end one day for being bold for Jesus somehow.

When Jesus says “get in the boat, let’s go to the other side...” that isn’t where you live. That’s a next step.

So we will see what Jesus has for us. Not what the City of Northglenn has planned, not what the Chief of Police has intended, what and where Jesus calls us to. Everything else is wind and waves.

And Jesus can sleep through that noise. Because it isn’t a threat. It isn’t something to be afraid of.

And when we get spooked, what can Jesus say?

“Shalom. Peace. Be Still.”

Peace to the circumstances.

Peace to our hearts.

We see that when the government tells us to stop doing what God has called us to.

We see that when our job is threatened.

We see that when fire rages and we leave “home.”

We see that when it all falls apart, the wind rages, the water rises… and “Jesus don’t you care that we are perishing!!!”

Let Jesus speak, first and foremost, to your heart, little-faiths. Little faiths like me. To speak courage into us, to fan the flames of faith, that it could grow in us...

Peace! Be still! For you follow the Master of the Winds and Waves.

Trust in the Master. Sail through the Storm. Sleep through the Storm.