Christ’s Power: Power Over Nature

Mark 4:35-41

July 16, 2000

Goal: That the hearers may receive a spirit of boldness and bravery so that they may share with others God’s wonderful grace and love.

          I want to begin our meditation with a fable from ancient India about a fearful mouse that portrays a similarity of how so many Christians approach life.

You see, the mouse lived in perpetual terror of the cat. So, the mouse petitioned a magician to change him. With a wave, the conjurer turned the mouse into a cat.

Unfortunately, the “cat” realized it was now afraid of the dog. The sorcerer once again intervened, and the cat became a dog.

Not more than a day elapsed before the dog approached the magician and confessed his newfound fear of tigers.

With a sigh, the reluctant magician once again transformed the dog, this time into a tiger. Of course, now the tiger lived in dread of human hunters.

The magician had had enough. His final words were “Be a mouse again. I cannot help you, for you have the heart of a mouse.”

Although we Christians have someone, much more powerful than all the magnificent magicians of all time, we still live in fear of what we are.

Disciples with Hearts of Mice

          In the Gospel lesson, Jesus’ disciples show themselves to have hearts of mice. Since their call to be disciples, they had seen many great and mighty wonders and had heard the message of love from the Messiah, Himself. Peter had witnessed the healing of his own mother-in-law (Mk 1:30-31). They all had seen Jesus heal lepers (Mk 1:40) and cast out devils (Mk 1:23) but still, they remained men with hearts of mice. These disciples should have been transformed by the might of the miracles over nature and the power of the message they witnessed day after day. But, contrary to all expectations, they remained men with hearts of mice.

          Not long before this incident, Jesus told a parable about the sower and the seed. He had said that some seed fell on stony ground, so even though it came up quickly to show much promise, it withered and soon died. Although the message was plain, it appears that the disciples didn’t catch on that Jesus could have been talking about their own shaky faith, that is, like a rocky seedbed. Funny, no sad, that we are no different.

          Although they were with Christ on an almost continual basis, the disciples’ lack of faith rendered Christ’s power innocuous and ineffective in their souls when trouble struck. Trouble never comes when expected. Without warning, a storm sweeps down on them as they row across the sea. Confronted by the whistling wind and waves, not even their skills with boats could protect them. Fearful and floundering, they called out to a sleeping Savior, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Please note that their words are not a summons for assistance.

They do not call out a prayer to the all-powerful Creator.

They do not summon him with the title of a respectful “Lord” or “Master.” To them, he is only their Teacher, and a seemingly uncaring one at that.

A Caring God

          What a dagger that must have been in Jesus’ heart. Not care? Caring is what made Jesus tick.

It was caring that caused his Father to offer a promise of salvation to Adam and Eve.

It was caring that caused Jesus to be born in a Bethlehem stable.

It was caring that called Jesus away form a comfortable life as a carpenter in Nazareth.

It was caring that had made him leave mother, brothers, and sisters.

It was caring that made him heal the hurting.

It was caring that led him to raise the dead.

And it was God’s great caring that would someday stand a beaten Jesus before a Roman governor. A man, unjustly accused by his own priests and people, forsaken by both government and justice, Jesus would lay down his life for a frightened and helpless humanity. Jesus, not care? Could anything the disciples said have wounded him more?

          How tragic that so many people with mouse-like hearts continue to make the accusation of not caring against the Savior. Like the disciples, so many people close their eyes to God’s ongoing providence. Only when disaster comes do they turn their faces heavenward and accuse God, asking, “Don’t you care?” For what proof can they possibly ask that God has not already given? The truth is in nature—and in our salvation: God cares.

Does God Care?

          Now, as Christians, we may never openly state what is in our hearts, as we wonder, “Does God care?” I mean, when sickness visits, do you find yourself wondering, “God, don’t you care?” Or, what about family problems? Are we not then prone to ask, “God, don’t you care?” You see, we want to know if God really cares. But, that’s how a mouse-like heart thinks.

          Be sure about this—Jesus cares. He cares about our financial problems.

He cares about our child’s cough.

He cares whether our car will start in cold weather.

He cares about the water we drink and the food we eat.

He cares about our looks and whether we love and are loved.

He cares about the events recorded in our Sunday paper and about how we sleep at night.

There is not an aspect of our life or anything else so small that it escapes Jesus’ caring heart (Mt 6:25-30). Jesus cares, even when we have mouse-like hearts, so he sends his messengers to remind us, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Pet 5:7).

          Today it is quite possible that the Lord finds some of us in fears and in tears. Is your heart breaking? Are there worries that make you feel alone and deserted? Is it possible that you don’t want those fears to be exposed? Have we not yet learned to trust? God sees and cares. He sees our every need. Even in this congregation, which has been described as dying, He still remains God omnipotent, the all-powerful creator and sustainer of all things in heaven and on earth. Of that, we can be certain! Instead of asking, “Don’t you care that we are drowning,” let us ask, “Lord, Creator and sustainer of all things, help us to see your power as we look to you for help.”

          As I see it as your pastor, God is not finished with Trinity Lutheran Church of Lansing. He has not yet reached all of those fearful people who wonder if anyone cares that their boat of life is sinking. Fearful people with mouse-like hearts who still need to know and experience God’s power in their lives. Listen to what that power is like according to St. Paul: “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

          Let me give you a down-to-earth example of what I am talking about for Trinity. There are four houses, in various states of disrepair and dilapidation, still unpaid for, and still growing more useless as time goes on. The question I hear asked is “What do we do with them?” After a short inspection tour of one empty apartment in much need of repair and updating, I suggested that we tell the other tenants to find another place and raze the house to use the land for something else; a playground, a parking area, an addition for educational purposes. I can’t help but wonder if we are to continue with a lost cause that still asks from fearful, mouse-like hearts, “Doesn’t anyone care?” Of course, someone cares. God cares that we are in a unique position to glorify him and to lift high the cross, yet we continue to stand in powerless fear of failure. If nothing else, we should be improving our property to increase its value. Then, if it must be sold, and the money given for the mission and ministry of others, it will still glorify the powerful God who determined to plant his church in this place for his relevance and for his impeccable timing for displaying His power among us, which he declares is “Today.”

          Today we need to remember who is God and what He is capable of doing.

Today we need to remember who we are and that we are capable of doing nothing apart from Him.

Today we need to be encouraged by the all-mighty all-powerful God to our calling to glorify Him in all that we say and do.

Today we need to be reminded that it is not our will, but His will that prevails over all things for our benefit.

Today we need to be reminded of the storms God has already calmed for many people and for this congregation.

Today we need to be reminded of the power that He has given us through His own Spirit.

Today we need to be reminded that the church is not about the past, but the future of many, and that this is why we are reaching out with Christ’s Love in the heart of Lansing.

May His omnipotent reign make it all so, in our Child Care, in our POBLO outreach, in our Worship, in our VBS and Sunday School, in our study of His Word, in our use of His gifts, in our ability to move forward with Him and in Him.

Friends, we are not without cause for great boldness in all that we do at this time and in this place. The Lord Almighty is with us. He is our caring maker and Redeemer. Amen.