Join the Resistance; Part 4

 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

 
The Unexpeted sin


Whilst Jesus' tone in this story is unclear, and it IS possible to read his words “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” as a gentle encouragement, I don't think their is any denying that they also come as a gentle rebuke. Perhaps not the kind of rebuke that he gives the waves, but still a chastisement, none the less.

Do we wonder why Jesus was a little stern with them.

On first reading, my sympathies lie with the disciples.

Listen, these were mostly experienced fishermen. I don't think they were likely to wimp out just because the waves got a bit choppy.
No. A furious squall came up and the boat was in very real danger of sinking. I think we need to think of something closer to scenes we see in the movie 'A Perfect Storm'.

If these experienced sailors were scared, then there was a pretty good reason.

The text says there were other boats with them and we are only left to speculate on how the occupants of those boats were reacting, but this boat was equipped with something way better than a Life raft and a buoyancy jacket. There is in this boat a resource which was a more than a secret weapon against waves. He is the creator of waves. Not that, at this point, they realise. But they do know him to be a miracle worker. They do know God moves when he speaks.

And so they ask him to intervene.

That's not so bad, is it?

We too as we go through life's storms turn to Jesus to help us in our need.

We realise that we have Jesus in OUR boat.

We are not as those in other boats who have no-one to turn to. We could even be commended for seeing that Jesus is the one that can save us.

No?

So why does he chastise them for their lack of faith?

2 things.

1. They have underestimated Jesus' care for them.
Don't you care if we drown? They ask.

No, they are not coming from a place of trust.

They are flapping.

2. They lack faith

They are not mindful that they share this vessel with the man who just days before had made a withered arm grow from nothing, as the man stretched out his non arm, the materials of which it was required to stretch out not actually existing before they were stretched out. And yet the disciples could not make the smallest stretch of faith to trust this miracle working son of God.

Yes Jesus cares. They need only have faith in it.

And the fact that Jesus was asleep should have told them something. Something about the level peace Jesus had over this storm. Something about the final outcome.

Jesus said that they were going to the other side.

They should have had confidence that he would get them there.

The unexpected Sin I want to highlight is Anxiety.Up till now you may have been wondering why, in the last of this series on resisting the Devil,  I started with the story of a boat and a storm.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

We have been looking at 1 Peter 5 and this little verse could easily be overlooked in our thinking.
I want to point out to you, to lend some weight to his instruction for us to rid ourselves of worry, that Peter was on this very boat.

He knows what he is talking about.

Paul instructs us to be anxious for nothing, concluding that we should pray instead, giving over our anxiety to Jesus, casting all our cares on him.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

But hear it. The Peace of God will not guard our hearts if we haven't really cast our anxiety onto him. For us to throw it over to him, it must leave our hands.

Jesus tells us that by worrying we cannot affect the outcome one little bit, but tells instead to seek first Gods kingdom. the outcome will be taken care of.

And I believe this instruction comes here, where it does in 1 Peter directly because anxiety is a huge foothold for the Devil. The instruction comes directly before we are told to resist the Devil.

This too, this casting our cares onto Jesus, is a fantastic defence against the worry that Satan wants to inflict on us.

But how to let go?

Why are we to let go?

Because, Peter says, he cares for you.

Have we got that?

Have we really got that?

The one who made oceans and speaks to storm, he cares for you.

Firstly it should move us to tears and humble gratitude. When I look at the heavens which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him.

And yet this Jesus, came to save us by taking on flesh, taking on our sin and then taking on the grave.......and triumphing.

He is mighty to save.

And secondly, yes. He cares.
He has stated. He will get you to the other side. Come hell or high water.

And in all our worrying, he sees the end from the beginning. He is at ease about it as if he were asleep in the boat. Sleeping like a baby.

And Jesus asks us;

Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith.


So anxiety is a sin, because it replaces trust and faith.

And without faith it is impossible to please God. the God who cares so deeply for us.


Today, if you are anxious, give it over to the saviour, cast it onto him, because he cares for you,

this day,
and all days.

Amen.