Control, Fear, and Faith

Sunday closest to June 22, Year B

Job 38:1-11; Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32; 

2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41

Rev. Fred D. Wilcoxson, PhD

Today’s readings are filled with wind; whirlwinds, stormy winds, a great windstorm, and the winds of fate. For those of us who have lived in Florida, wind can be very scary and very destructive. We experience wind in the form of tornados, hurricanes, and 60 mile per plus straight winds. These winds can come suddenly and for us in Central Florida from any direction and often changing directions. We also have cool winds that sooth us on a hot night and warm winds that blow the chilling cold air away in the winter months.

Jesus likened the Holy Spirit to the wind noting that we don’t know where it comes from or where it goes; yet we can feel the wind and see its power. This morning God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind, making it clear that He would ask the questions and Job would give Him the answers. In the short questioning by God we quickly get the gist of God’s conversation with Job. God is making it clear that He is without a doubt the one in charge. God made the rules that govern physical science; He is the one in control of everything, even the wind.

In all of our readings we are seeing the issues of control, fear, and faith.

While we can apply these issues to any situation we encounter, today I want you to think about a time when the wind made you afraid and or made you feel like no matter what you tried to do you are not fully in control of the outcome of the event.

In our Psalm we hear about a group of God’s people who decided to become fishermen and to ply their trade on the high seas.

I remember back in my police officer career when I worked the night shift. One day in particular I had come home and gone to bed right away. I got up around 3:00 PM to do a little fishing. It was a perfect day. I loaded up my 12 foot Jon boat, electric trolling motor, battery, and fishing equipment and off to Little Lake Barton I went. The boat dealership next to the FHP station on East Hwy 50 in Orlando had given me permission to put in from their dock and park my van in their lot while I fished.

I started off from the dock working my way along the grass line toward the Executive Air Port property. It was not long before the wind out of the northwest began to blow in a steady breeze, but the electric motor was holding me in a straight course. Suddenly, the wind began to blow in gusts and then it blew hard. It blew so hard that my little boat was being push farther and farther out into the middle of the lake. I was watching my van look smaller and smaller in the distance. I tried to tack the boat into the wind, but the motor just wasn’t strong enough to make any headway back to the dock. The wind picked up even more, enough to turn the bow and moving me farther away again. I put the motor on full throttle and starting rowing with the paddles to supplement the motor.  Even though I was young and fit at the time, the rowing didn’t take long to wear me out.  The water had become very rough and lapping over the sides into the boat. It was obvious that I was not going to be able to get the boat back to the dock. My only option was to let the wind push the boat all the way to the other side of the lake. I moved forward in the boat to keep the gunnels high at the stern and turned my fate over to the wind. Needless to say I was feeling very helpless and not in control and even fearful that this could have a bad ending.

As it turned out I ended up in the back yard of a house of a person I was acquainted with.  He let be beach and secure the boat there, but could not give me a ride back to my van. His wife had the car. It was a really long walk back to the van, especially since it had started to rain. Thus by the end of the afternoon I was very wet, very tired, caught no fish, but I had safely gotten to shore, retrieved the boat and all my equipment, getting home safe and sound.

In the Psalm the sailors cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them from their distress. I did call out to the Lord.  He didn’t still the storm to a whisper and quiet the waters… at least not until much later. He did bring me to a safe harbor. I too was thankful.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians it is not the wind that Jesus likened the Spirit to that He was speaking of… these were man made storms of afflictions, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, and hunger. It was a time that no matter what the people of the Corinthian church tried, they  could not overcome, they could only endure. Still they were treated as imposters, even though they were true; as unknowns, yet well known; as dying, yet stayed alive; as punished, yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

They cried out to the Lord and at an acceptable time God listened to them, and on a day of salvation the Lord helped them.

As in my own case on the lake, they were not in control and they were afraid and suffering. In the end for them, God provided salvation and relief; but like me they had a long walk to take before they realized the goal.

They story from Mark is one of my favorites. It is a story that I relate to on a daily bases and comes to my mind in every crisis I encounter. Let me remind you of the story:

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."  And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.  A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"  He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"  And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

This is so much like my story; a simple boat ride, a windstorm, a loss of control, fear, and an appeal to the Lord. The Lord answered their call for help. He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was dead calm.

This time there was a question from Our Lord Jesus, a question that He asks us every time we are out of control and afraid. He asks the disciples “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

It is faith that melts away the need for control and fear. Faith is the key element in Christian living. Faith is the road to peace and joy. Faith builds relationships. Faith builds buildings and homes, and lives. Falling back into Gods loving caring arms in the faith that He is always there to catch you helps you sleep, keep your blood pressure down, make it through troubled times, helps you understand life, and gives you joy. It can also be handy when people ask you that tough question, “How can you be so calm at a time like this.” Or in my case, “How is the ordination process going?” My answer is simply: “If Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat, I will make it to the other side.” It is faith in trusting Jesus to take me to the other side whether or not it is the side of my desires or a side that he chooses to carry me safely to, that I am in His hands.

That’s my lesson in faith for you. God loves you and is always right there with you. He comes to every crisis that you may have, whether you invited Him or not. I hope that you will have faith and allow the Lord to calm your storms.  Amen.

I.N.J.