Peace in the storm - Sermon for Edgehill College Communion

Mark 4: 35 - 41

It was near the end of a 4 hour ferry journey back to the Isle of Man where we then lived. The journey had been easy and we had as a family happily and greedily pigged out on a curry. Suddenly there was an almighty bang. The sound of cutlery crashing was clearly audible and the boat seemed to lurch on to its side. Screams from children broke out and a good few people were quickly parted from the meals for which they had paid good money - Yukh!

During our five years on the Isle of Man, there were a few other unpleasant journeys and on bad days that same place just a few miles off the island was a place where conditions often turned bad.

And so I can sympathise with the friends of Jesus. The Lake of Galilee is a lake known for storms that are brought on by sudden inrushes of wind. It is a place which can quickly bring terror to those who sail it. And in our story, the followers of Jesus are certainly terrified.

But they are also annoyed. I don’t know about you but when I am subject to extreme feelings I expect others to share in that experience. But here whilst experienced seamen are petrified, the landlubber Jesus sleeps through the storm. No wonder, they give him a good shaking to get him back to consciousness. If they are going to be petrified the least that he can do is to share in their fright.

But the response of the awakened Jesus is to speak words of peace in the storm and to gently suggest that his friends are suffering from a loss of nerve. And so part of an explanation of this encounter has to be about Jesus bringing peace to us at the times when we are troubled, the times when we are afraid and the times when our world is caving in. And that is valid. Jesus does bring a peace to us that enables people to come through the most trying of circumstances. And yet, we need to add the cautionary note that Jesus is not a pain killer who removes all of our difficulties, turmoils and uncertainties. These same followers of Jesus will experience plenty more of these things not just in times when their eyes are off Jesus but as in this case when they are doing precisely what Jesus asks of them. What we need to hang on to is that Jesus is a loving presence who offers a real help to us in both good times and bad times.

But do you notice something else? After the winds have dropped and calm has been restored, the friends of Jesus remain afraid. Why should this be? Perhaps it is because they see more such days. Jesus has already confronted demonic forces. Now he is confronting the destructive powers of the elements. Surely, this is a foretaste of how Jesus is going to go on confronting all the powers that are life destroying. And if they are to be loyal to Jesus, these followers are going to be called into this struggle. Such expectation will be found to be true as Jesus’ authority confronts the wrongs of prejudice, divisions and violence.

Today, Christ continues to cross boundaries through his followers. At times, following the Gospel is like going into a storm but this story serves to remind us that when we are about the good news of Jesus, like his early followers we have his presence with us. This doesn’t mean that discipleship is easy. It certainly isn’t just about the myth of being escapism for elderly ladies, some of whom can teach us lessons in living courageously. For it following Jesus far from being akin to taking a painkilling drug is something that calls for courage and determination - and yet we are not left alone!

So the big question as we come to the table is, are you and me up to the challenge?


This sermon was preached at Edgehill College's Communion Service on Tuesday June 19th 2007