Fear and Faith

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
June 21st 2009

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Fear and Faith”
Mark 4:35-41

That day was a day of great exuberance. The crowds swelled and there was a real energy in the air. On that day there was a revolutionary spirit at work. On that day the kingdom of God was on the lips of everyone in the gathered crowd. On that day, Jesus was on a roll with all his parables about the kingdom. From the parable of the sower, to lamps and bushes, and finally mustard seeds, Jesus was busy teaching a new reality. It was clear that a new day was dawning. Change was on the way and hope was felt in powerful ways.

While the full implications of that day may have been lost on the gathered crowd everyone was caught up in the excitement of these moments. But, like all days, no matter how great, the sun eventually sets. That evening would prove quite a test to the exuberance of that day. Jesus’ request to venture to the other side faced no resistance. It should have. The other side was an unfamiliar place. The people there were a different sort with strange customs and ideas. Did they realize that Jesus’ request meant the kingdom of God included all people, even those on the other side? If the disciples grasped this reality, they would have surely put up a struggle.

Maybe it was the exuberance of that day, but whatever the reason, the disciples took Jesus on the journey to the other side, just as he was. That was a pretty amazing feat because the disciples seldom deal with Jesus just as he was. Instead, we choose to dress Jesus up to suit our sensibilities. Sometimes, Jesus wears the flag of the nations where his disciples live. Other times, Jesus looks like a member of one political party, and more often than not Jesus chooses one culture, race or gender over another. So to take Jesus just as he was, means leaving the places of certainty, the adulation of the crowds, and moving out of comfortable surroundings and into; the other side. To take Jesus just as he was will require us to place our fishing boats, over livelihood and our way of life at risk. Had the disciples known all of this, my guess is that they would have chosen to form a committee to study the impact of crossing over to the other side.

For a moment though, let us imagine that the disciples did grasp all this. What if they knew exactly what it meant to take Jesus, just as he was, to the other side? Even if they have considered the cost and were willing to risk their lives, there were greater forces at work seeking to end this foolish trip to the other side. A great storm arose. To modern disciples, this great storm should come as no surprise. We know well that movements for change and greater inclusion in the family of God always face storms. As the waves of the most recent storms beat against the church the prediction of imminent doom become all the rage. We do mission studies and reevaluate mission statements. After all, if Jesus is asleep in the back pew, we are going to take matters into our hands. It is not that mission studies and mission statements are bad ideas but they are often convenient places to focus the anxiety associated with going over to the other side.

This particular storm comes at a time when the disciples were being as faithful as they knew how. The resistance of the storm to their faithfulness is great. The waves beat the boat and water begins to seep in the cracks. The water begins to cause all sorts of problems. In the midst of this storm, when chaos seems to reign, Jesus is asleep, on a cushion, in the back of the boat. Jesus’ slumber was enough to unnerve even the most faithful disciple. Maybe the cushion was overkill. It was Jesus who asked them to go to the other side. It was Jesus who talked about the new kingdom. And now all his talk led them to the brink of destruction and he has the audacity to sleep while we suffer. What gives?

Jesus’ posture of sleep is not a sign of indifference to the suffering of others but a sign and example of how to trust. Jesus is able to sleep comfortably because he expects there is going to be storms. When we cross over to the other side there is always going to be resistance. Faithful discipleship is not a life devoid of storms. We cannot proclaim a new kingdom and not expect the kingdoms and powers of this world to go quietly. We cannot cross over to the other side without drawing the ire of those comfortable with the current and familiar boundaries. We cannot take Jesus just as he was and not find the storms of resistance arise externally, but more often than not internally. Storms are a part of the life of discipleship we can simply count on that. But the good news is that in the life of faith the storms do not have the last word. So no matter what beats against the boat, no matter what storms may rise up in our lives or in the church, let us never forget those storms do not have the last word. Amen? Amen!