Fear of Water

Fear of Water There is a chemical compound that is one of the most dangerous in existence. In trace amounts, it seems to be relatively safe, but in excess it has been known to cause death by asphyxiation, one of the most horrible ways to die. If we only were aware of Its dangerous qualities, we would stay away from it or use extreme caution. Perhaps it has killed more people and animals than any other known chemical. It is found deep in the earth and according to the scientific discoveries we have made with sophisticated instruments, even on other planets, which should give us concern for human travel to those planets. I speak of Dihydrogen Oxide, often called by an abbreviation, H2O, or commonly, water. There is a biblical text or two which talk about the very natural fear of this stuff by the disciples of Jesus. We will start with Chapter 6 verse 45. Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. 47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. 45 Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Just previous to this event, was what we treated last Sunday, the feeding of the 5000. The disciples had been like the rest of the folks, amazed and dismayed by how Jesus produced a huge picnic out of a small lunch. Only the creator God could do that. It was, remember, already late in the day when he did that, and by now it was surely dark. Time to go to sleep, not go on a boat ride. But Jesus wanted to be alone, and He sent the disciples on ahead to Bethsaida without him to pray. There was a method to his madness. He planned to teach them another lesson about who he was. So, before dawn, in the middle of a wind that had picked up on the lake, he went out to them, not swimming, but walking on top of the water. It says they saw him in the dawn’s dissipating darkness walking on the water and thought he was a ghost. There was a method to his madness. He planned to teach them another lesson about who he was. So, before dawn, in the middle of a wind that had picked up on the lake, he went out to them, not swimming, but walking on top of the water. It says they saw him in the dawn’s dissipating darkness walking on the water and thought he was a ghost. Now,, even If you don’t believe in ghosts, I dare say you’d be scared half to death by that. Maybe even more so if you don’t believe in ghosts. If it were only one of them, they’d say he was hallucinating, but they all saw him and were terrified. Maybe if I asked you all if you’d ever been terrified, some of you would come up with some neat campfire stories. But it’s no fun to be terrified. Terrorists aren’t called that for nothing. If Jesus were playing a practical joke on them, we’d laugh with him about their response. But he wanted to teach them something about fear and faith. I wonder if the Lord sometimes puts us in situations on purpose not just to test our faith, but to teach us about faith. He doesn’t, I believe, put us in real danger because, as with Peter, he takes us by the hand, and rescues us in time. But we may very well feel alone and perishing, or drawn to yell out to him, “Lord, save me!”. This wasn’t the first time they’d been in a storm with Jesus. In chapter 4, Jesus was in the boat already with them. I’ll read it. That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 35 Again, they were terrified. The first time, because of the overwhelming power of Jesus. But they despaired of living because of the waves. Now these disciples were accustomed to the sudden squalls that often came up on that lake. They had a healthy respect for that H2O, but this time was different. They knew there were several boats on the bottom of that lake, and really thought theirs would be next. They were almost angry with Jesus for sleeping so soundly when they were about to be inundated and were struggling so hard to bail water. There are good reasons to be afraid. People see the fire advancing over the hill straight toward their house, and they don’t even have time to rescue important papers. Or they get the warning of level 2, get ready to leave on a moment’s notice, and have to leave their animals and all their valuables. That fear makes you afraid with a healthy fear to protect your lives. That’s nature. That is fight or flight fear, and fighting is out of the question. All animals, even insects, as short as their life is yet to last, struggle to save their lives for a few minutes longer. You can’t blame the disciples for that fear. But it’s not altogether bad. It makes you evaluate what is really important to you, what is really worth saving. Vicky’s mother was burned out one time. With fire consuming everything, she struggled to get their couch out the door. You think, what can I live without? What will I give my life to save? I’m sure many get away with only their children, and think they’re lucky, and if they believe in God, thank the Lord for them. Unless we face such a choice, we tend to overvalue things. We give too much time and attention to stuff. Jesus asked, “What will a man give in exchange for his own soul? Apparently, not very much, as people give away their souls for practically nothing. Billy Graham has said, “If you’re going to sell Satan your soul, you’d better charge him a lot.” A healthy fear can motivate you to action. But fear can sometimes paralyze a person, and inaction. Fear then, becomes your enemy. The fear of losing possessions or money makes you miserly and miserable. Generosity makes you makes you want to earn in order to give and help people. John Wesley used to preach, “Earn all you can, and save all you can, and give all you can.” He is credited with saving England from the revolution that France suffered. Bill Gates, once the richest American, planned to give away his fortune when he had earned enough. He never earned enough. Along came Linda and motivated him do not put it off. Lucky him. Fear takes away your hope, as these disciples were learning. We know what few people do, that our hope is not in the things we possess, connections we have, or luck. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. What is the worst thing that can happen to you? That is your biggest fear. Think about it. Jesus asked his disciples “Why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Let me ask you? What is your greatest fear? Catching the Coronavirus? Dying from cancer, falling, an airplane accident? Many times an education about the relative risks will help to put things in perspective. But what it comes down to, for most of us, is our fear is of dying, or dying too early. Like the animals, fear makes us take precautions, take our medicine, but dying is natural and we’re all going to do it. But we don’t need to fear it. . Jesus said to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, “I “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Do you believe this? Do you believe that death is only the transition from this earthly life to Eternal Life with Jesus? Then you don’t have anything to fear. Paul said of himself, I die daily. That is, he counted himself to have died as far as this world is concerned. He also said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Jesus wants you to stop fearing for your life, even less for other things that threaten you. You are safe in Jesus’ hands. So what if you die tomorrow from a car accident, or in a few days from the Coronavirus? You will be immediately in the arms of Jesus. Our text says, “Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. Take courage, Jesus says to you, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” And he climbs into your boat with you.” Let us pray. Lord Jesus, give us the confidence to trust you when the storm threatens to sink our boat. Help us to remember that you are there with us, even when it appears that your’re asleep. You hear our cry and make the winds die down. Help us to see this in our case, by faith in you, until we land on the other side. Amen. Rom. 8:38-39 – For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our The end