Christ's Word Keeps You through the Storm

Pentecost 5

June 28, 2015

Mark 4:35-41

Christ's Word Keeps You through the Storm

In the name of the Father and of † the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Storms come in many ways. For Jesus and His disciples back then, it was wet, windy, and deadly. For Jesus and His disciples today, it is a Supreme Court decision.

You've now heard what those five little gods decided. And since we all sin as much we can get away with, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is now celebrated as legal by the dominant culture. Actors whose work you may enjoy are exploding the internet with rainbows. Down the road the Unitarian Church—which isn't really a church—had their rainbow rally on Friday. All of this isn't surprising.

But worst of it is that some weak Christians will be tempted and bullied into silence. Other weak Christians will even be tempted to lie and say that Jesus would want this and is happy about this. These silent and weak ones aren't malicious; they just want to stay on good terms with their family, friends, and neighbors.

This decision will aid many souls on their way down to hell. When the state says that sin is legal, many will use this as an excuse to sin even more. They will go against their conscience to go along and get along. And they will perish. Forever.

Marriage and life are not politics; they should never be up for debate. But the Devil, the world, and our flesh have dragged marriage and life into the gutter of politics, subject to the whims of the childish mob. The Devil is delighted when enduring truths from Christ are debated, undermined, and then destroyed.

But the truth is the truth. Life begins at conception in the womb. Marriage is for a woman and a man, promised and faithful to each other for life. This is not opinion. This is not interpretation. It is true always because Jesus has spoken life and marriage into being and they will always be just that until Jesus speaks to Time and tells it to stop.

And this ever-true Speaking is what gets us through this stormy life. Jesus calmed the wind and waves in an instant with His word, but it didn't immediately calm the souls of His disciples. Later His Word would bring them peace, but it didn't right away.

And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

(Mark 4:39-41)

"They became very much afraid." What does this mean? They were scared to be in the presence of God. Whom do wind and sea obey? God. And they were standing next to Him.

When Peter probably told Mark this story, I'm guessing that he admitted how foolish he and the other disciples were to be afraid. But not of the wind and the waves. Creation is scary. It often tries kill you. Especially if you're in a boat.

No, Peter probably looked back and was amazed that he could have doubted Jesus' promise that they would be fishers of men. And that they could have asked Jesus if He cared about them. He does, always, and always keeps His promises.

What does Jesus promise you? Forgiveness through His words in Baptism, Absolution (the spoken word of forgiveness), and Communion. Jesus promised:

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

(John 6:35-40)

He also promises you that you will suffer for His name. He promises this.

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

(Mark 8:34-38)

When you disagree with the mob on marriage and life, you know that there will be consequences. (By the way, when your Facebook friend posts foolish praise for wickedness and sin, generally I wouldn't fire back. Just file it away. You'll get a chance to thoughtfully respond in person. And when that chance comes, don't remain silent because you don't want to lose your friend or family. Speak the truth in love. Trust in the Holy Spirit.) And we might wonder, "Why is Jesus leading us into this storm? Why does He then tell us to rock the boat on purpose?! Why does He tell us to speak the truth in love to our loved ones who will be disappointed or even angry with us for speaking Christ to them?

Because He loves us and has mercy on us. He has given us Himself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And we are drowned by His Law that shows us how silent and afraid we are and pulled back to life every day by His promise to always be with us and wash away our sin. And so we join in St. Paul's confession of Christ during stormy times and personal struggle:

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

(Romans 8:12-18)

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!