Do Not Be Afraid- It Is Well

Mark 4:35-41

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 gale 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?’

Once upon a time there was an upstanding, Christian man who appeared to have everything. He was married to a wonderful woman. He had five beautiful children- one boy and four girls. He had a successful legal practice, and firm investments in property along Lake Michigan in Chicago. His life was like a calm sea-- sure there were a few waves here and there, but for the most part it was smooth sailing.

But then, the storm clouds gathered. First his boat was rocked by the death of his son. Then waves crashed against his boat as the great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed his rental property and he lost everything overnight. Seeking solace from the storm, he planned a trip to Europe in 1873 for his wife and four daughters to rest and recover, with the plan of joining renowned evangelist Dwight Moody and his musician Ira Swankey on their tour through Great Britain. “In November of that year, due to unexpected last-minute business developments, he had to remain in Chicago, but sent his wife and four daughters on ahead as scheduled on the S.S. Ville du Havre. He expected to follow in a few days.

“On November 22 the ship was struck by the Lochearn, an English vessel, and sank in twelve minutes. Several days later the survivors were finally landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, ‘Saved alone.’”(1)

He quickly crossed the deep waters to join his grieving wife in Wales. As his own ship approached the spot it was believed the Ville du Havre sank, Horatio Spafford wrote the now famous words: When peace like a river attendeth my way, and sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. In the midst of the storm of life, somehow Spafford felt the peace of the one who can calm all storms: the peace of Christ.

Our Gospel lesson this morning is a familiar one, as Jesus calms the mighty seas with a simple word. Jesus and his disciples have spent the last few days preaching, teaching, and healing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee when Jesus declares that it is time to go to the other side of the sea. It is time to expand their ministry beyond the region of Galilee, and his first stop is to the land of the Gerasenes, who live across the sea. The quickest way was to get there was to sail across the sea, so Jesus and his disciples get into a boat and set sail. When they begin their journey the waters are calm, but as they get further and further out upon the water things begin to change. The water becomes rough and choppy. The winds pick up. Their boat is tossed up and down, side to side, as water begins to slap against the sides of the boat and crash down upon the deck. The disciples, who -remember- are well-seasoned fishermen, are terrified. They look to their leader, the carpenter who they are discovering is so much more, is fast asleep at the wheel. And they are terrified. They rouse him from his slumber, shouting, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we are perishing?” Don’t you care that we are perishing?

Jesus wakes from his sleep- how could he sleep at a time like this, really- and I imagine with arms spread wide he stands in the stern and commands the wind and the waves: Peace. Be still. And they obey. Then he turns to his disciples and asks, Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith? Our reading today tells us that the disciples were filled with awe, but this is really a mistranslation. The Greek words that are used are kai ephobethesan phobon megan which means, and they feared with great fear, wondering, who is this man, that he holds the power to command the sea and the sea obeys him?

They have not fully realized, until this point, the extent of Jesus’ power, and now they fear with a great fear. No longer afraid of perishing in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, they fear the divine power that they have just witnessed. And like a parent, who is comforting their frightened child Jesus asks, why are you afraid?

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had moments when we are afraid. I’m sure we have all had nightmares as children, or have gone into our children’s rooms to find them crying because something in their dreams has frightened them. And as we were comforted or did the comforting I’m sure most of us heard the words: there’s nothing to be afraid of.

If only it were so simple. If only these words were true. Shhh, there’s nothing to be afraid of, we croon, because it’s the truth we so desperately want to believe but what we should really be saying is this: Do not be afraid. Not because there is nothing to be afraid of, but because Jesus is in our boat, God is with us, so no matter how our boats get tossed about on the sea of life we do not need to be afraid.

Because there is plenty to be afraid of.

Why are you afraid? Jesus asks his disciples, and us. We are afraid because we live in a world where there is not enough: not enough food, not enough shelter, not enough oil, not enough money. We are afraid because we live in a world where it is not safe to be a woman and to walk alone at night. We are afraid because we live in a world where it is dangerous to be a man or woman of color. We are afraid because we live in a world where acts of terror happen everyday- in the Middle East and in a small AME church in Charleston, South Carolina. We are afraid, and angry, and heartbroken because our brothers and sisters gathered in a place that should have provided safe harbor from the storms of life and instead they encountered fear and death at the hands of a stranger they welcomed with warmth and hospitality. These are the stormy seas on which our boat sails, this is our response when Jesus asks, Why are you afraid?

And yet, despite all this, we can find the peace of Christ that is strong enough to calm the seas and gentle enough to comfort a child. We see the peace of Christ in the response of the family and congregation of the church in Charleston, as they have responded with grace and forgiveness instead of anger and hate. We see the peace of Christ in those who continue to have conversations about race, and justice, and peace. We see the peace of Christ in simple acts of hospitality and love. We can be the peace of Christ by welcoming the stranger and loving the unlovable. We experience the peace of Christ when we can live into the truth that we do not need to be afraid, even though there is much to fear, because Jesus is with us in the boat.

We are told over and over in scripture: do not be afraid. It has been said that these are both the first and last words of the gospel. They are the words spoken by the angel Gabriel to the young Mary, and spoken to the women at the tomb. Do not be afraid. Even when the waves are crashing. Even when it feels like we are drowning. When the world is tossing us about and we feel as if we are perishing, we do not need to be afraid. Because Christ is with us. May the words written so long ago be true for me and you- even so, it is well with my soul.

Benediction:

As we leave this place of safe harbor to return to the seas of life let us not be afraid, because God who created the waters is with us. Christ who stills the waters is with us. The Spirit who moves across the waters is with us. May the peace of Christ who calms the storms be with you this day and everyday.

1- http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-it-is-well-with-my-soul