"A Simple Trust in God"

Transcription

1 Rev. Dr. Doug Showalter Copyright 2011 The Church of the Pilgrimage, Plymouth, MA July 10, 2011 Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1-3a; Mark 4:35-41 "A Simple Trust in God" IT WAS A BUSY DAY for Jesus. He had spent much of the day overwhelmed by crowds. People came to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee from all over the region. They came to hear Jesus teach about the coming of God's Kingdom. They came to see Jesus heal the sick and cast out demons from those they considered possessed. Throughout the day Jesus taught in parables. He likened the kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed which at first grows secretly, then soon blossoms into a great tree. He also likened the kingdom, to a sower who spread good seed upon the earth. Some of that precious seed withered because it fell upon rocky soil. But some of it grew strong because it fell on fertile soil. IT WAS AN EXHAUSTING DAY for Jesus. At one point the crowd was so thick, that Jesus even got into a boat, to teach the masses of people which lined the rocky shore to hear his words. Now finally, it was evening. I should tell you, that the Sea of Galilee is like a great soup dish. The "sea" is really a shallow lake, 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. This sea is surrounded by rock strewn hills some 600 feet high. These hills are cut by various deep gorges which whistle and moan whenever the wind blows through them -as it often does. As I said, now, finally, it was evening. The grey shadows of night were just beginning to settle on the lake. In the fading light, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, Let's go across to the other side. Leaving the crowds behind, the disciples took Jesus in their boat, and began to make the 6 or 7 mile trip across the lake. Several other boats accompanied them.

2 -2- Exhausted, Jesus fell asleep in the stern. Perfectly at peace, Jesus cushioned his head on one of the sand bags stored beneath the stern. Those sandbags were used to trim the boat. While Jesus slept, a great storm came upon the lake. The wind blew strong and the waves churned and heaved all around the boat. Many of those disciples were seasoned fishermen. They were not unused to a little rough weather. But this storm terrified them. As the waves began filling their boat, they frantically woke Jesus and cried out, Teacher, don't you care that we're perishing? There was terror, and perhaps even some anger in the voices of those disciples--as if they felt that Jesus had abandoned them. At that point, Jesus awoke. He rebuked the wind. And to the sea he said, Peace! Be still! And, it was so! The wind ceased, and there was a dead calm all across the water. Turning to his cowering disciples, Jesus asked, Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith? Those disciples were now filled with awe. As they said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? IN OUR HOME I have an old engraving of this biblical scene on the Sea of Galilee. That engraving also appears on the cover of your worship bulletin this morning. This story of Jesus stilling the storm is one of my favorite Gospel stories. As you can see in the engraving, the wind is blowing fiercely

3 -3- and the lake is surging all around. The disciples are all "hunkered down" in their fishing boat, terrified with fear. But Jesus confidently stands in the boat with his eyes to heaven and his arms outstretched toward the water. The divine power within Jesus is so strong, that he can quell this great tempest, even through the mere words of his voice! YOU MAY RECALL that the ancient Hebrews often associated the power of God with control over water. For example: -There was the creation of the world. According to the first Creation story in Genesis, God spoke and the waters of chaos divided to allow dry land to emerge. -Also, there was the story of the great flood of Noah's time which God caused to subside after 40 days. -Also, there was the account of the deliverance of the Hebrew people through the parting of the Red Sea. Jesus' stilling of the storm certainly falls within that ancient Hebrew tradition. For this story is a symbol of God's great power over our world. And, it is a symbol of God's great love and care, for each and every one of us. I should tell you that three of our New Testament Gospels tell this dramatic story. It is a story which has continued to give the Church of Jesus Christ, both hope and courage down through the ages. THIS GOSPEL STORY became particularly meaningful to me a number of years ago, because of an experience my family had in Maine, when we were living there. My wife Chris, my daughter Cherie--who was then very young-- and I were canoeing on a beautiful Maine lake. It was a bright summer day. We paddled down to the far end of the lake and entered a large marshy area which took us out of sight of the lake.

4 -4- By the time we got back to the lake, the weather had changed dramatically. Huge, black storm clouds marched down the lake. Lightning flashed over our heads, and thunder boomed in our ears. Torrents of cold rain pummeled our flesh. We froze, as we were only wearing swimsuits. And we were riding in an aluminum canoe. We were terrified! We didn't know if we would survive. We paddled as quickly as we could to a nearby shore, then we jumped out of our canoe. All three of us dove into a thicket of cat-tail plants for some protection. My wife Chris and I tried to shield our young daughter from the cold rain with our own bodies. Our daughter was already shivering intensely. We lay over our daughter for awhile, frightened and praying that we would survive, both the lightning and possible hypothermia. As it happened, things changed dramatically, in just a few minutes. Rays of yellow light suddenly began to break through the storm clouds. The rain and lightning stopped. And very soon, a bright summer sun recaptured the day with its radiant warmth. All three of us were safe, at last! For that, we gave great thanks to God. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT EXPERIENCE. Like the disciples in the boat, we really did come through all right. And, like the disciples in the boat, we really did need to trust more in God's love and power. We needed a deep faith to overcome our fears. WE HUMAN BEINGS are fearful of many things. We are afraid of death. At times we are even afraid of life. We are afraid of the past. We are afraid of the future. We are afraid for our children and for others we love. We are afraid of losing our jobs, our homes, our health, and our security. We can be afraid of so many things.

5 -5- YET, THE GOOD NEWS of God's wonderful grace is this: a deep faith castes out fear. For a deep faith is built upon an implicit trust in God -an implicit trust that God is powerful over all the world. And an implicit trust that God really does love and provide for us eternally - both in this life and in the world to come. VIRTUALLY ALL CHRISTIANS will say that they have faith. But let me ask you this question. Is your faith really built on trust? Or is your faith a matter of beliefs only? Here's the difference between the two. Imagine that there is a cable stretched from shore to shore across Niagara Falls. Imagine also that there is a tightrope walker who is preparing to wheel a wheelbarrow across that cable. The wind is blowing in gusts and heavy clouds of mist are rising up from the falls. Now, faith as belief stands on the shore and says it thinks the man with the wheelbarrow can get across the falls safely. In contrast, faith as real trust, not only believes, it also jumps into the wheelbarrow and goes with the man. To be sure, our faith is incomplete, if it is only a matter of intellectual beliefs. As Christians, we can and should trust in God. We can trust God, because God is trustworthy. As God said to the prophet Isaiah, which you heard in our first scripture reading this morning: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you...for I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. [Isaiah 43:1b,2a,3a] That's how the prophet Isaiah experienced God. It is also how I have experienced God. For, more times than I can count, God has been the unseen presence, guiding and walking with me and with those I love, in times of personal pain and

6 -6- difficulty. JESUS TAUGHT US that we must become like children in order to enter the Kingdom of God. And what do children have which adults often lack? Children have trust. They have a simple and genuine trust in God, and in others. With trust, the infant clings to her mother's breast. With trust, the child first climbs up the ladder of a slide, as his parents stand close by to catch him if he falls. It is this simple kind of trust which characterizes a deep Christian faith. Through the years of my ministry, I have met a number of wonderful people who have such a deep trust in God. One of those people is particularly memorable. She was an elderly woman, known affectionately to her family as "Nanna." Nanna lived in a small, but comfortable room. She spent most of her days sitting in an overstuffed chair. Nanna's health was in decline. At the point I met her, she couldn't walk at all. Nanna's great chair was virtually a command post. For on either side of her chair there were small tables and shelves upon which she kept all her treasured possessions: pictures of her family, several versions of the Bible, the latest news magazines, and brochures on the various charities she supported. Nanna was a wonderful person to talk to. She was vital, interested in the world, always concerned about the well-being of others, and deeply committed to her faith. In fact, Nanna spoke about her faith often. Nanna's health was failing. But in my visits I never once heard her complain. From deep within herself, this woman radiated a great sense of inner peace. You could feel that peace when you entered her room. And what was the source of that peace? It was simply this: Nanna loved God. And Nanna had absolutely no doubt

7 -7- whatsoever, that whatever the future brought, God would ultimately provide for her. In short, Nanna really trusted God--even in the midst of all her physical limitations and problems. The difficulties of Manna's life swirled about her like threatening waves. But, Nanna was not afraid, for her faith was strong. I WAS AWED BY NANNA. And, I always felt rather humble after visiting her. Many of us Christians--myself included--tend to make our faith lives rather complex and difficult. We struggle with the various paradoxes of faith in modern life, and we try to dissect the numerous theories of Christian theology. But this woman, Nanna, possessed within herself that one essential truth, which, I think, lies at the core of vital Christian faith. And that one essential truth is this. Through all her years and life experiences, this woman never lost her child-like trust in God. That truth is simple. But it is also profound! THE RISEN CHRIST stands in the midst of our lives today. The risen Christ stretches out his arms over all the problems, pains, and worries which swirl and churn around us, like waves threatening to swamp our lives. The risen Christ stretches out his arms and proclaims, Peace, Be still!...and there is stillness. Then turning around, the risen Christ looks at each and every one of us. He looks into our anxious, care-worn faces, and he asks, Why are you afraid? Do not fear, for I will be with you, even to the end of the age. A Simple Trust in God.