The Storms of Life

In 1951 comedian Red Skelton and a party of friends flew to Europe, where Skelton was to appear at the London Palladium. As they were flying over the Swiss Alps, three of the airplane’s engines failed. The situation looked very grave and the passengers began to pray. Skelton went into one of his best comic routines to distract them from the emergency as the plane lost height, coming closer and closer to the ominous-looking mountains. At the last moment the pilot spied a large field among the slopes and made a perfect landing. Skelton broke the relieved silence by saying, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, you may return to the evil habits you gave up 20 minutes ago.”

Fresh out of Oxford, John Wesley was perplexed over England's complicated social problems: slavery, economic uncertainties, corruption, drunkenness, gambling, and prostitution. This deeply religious, sensitive soul became a parish minister and, subsequently, a missionary to American Indians along the coast of Georgia. His ministries were far from successful. Disappointed and discouraged, he returned to Britain.

During the voyage, his ship was raked by a raging storm. Wesley was unashamedly frightened. In fact, the only calm persons aboard were Moravian missionaries. Noticing their behaviour, Wesley asked if they were not afraid. "Why should I be afraid," one answered, "I know Christ."

Like the young John Wesley the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee were afraid, very afraid, afraid that they were about to lose their lives.  Despite the fact that it is a large inland freshwater lake rather than a true sea, the Sea of Galilee is subject to ferocious storms.  Even modern sailors on Galilee fear those sudden storms that blow up out of nowhere, so it isn’t hard to imagine how afraid the disciples were in their small wooden sailing boat.  Some of them were experienced fishermen who had sailed on Galilee hundreds of times; they were afraid because they knew that there was a very real possibility than the storm would sink the boat and they would all lose their lives.

Can you think of a time when you were afraid; perhaps when either your life or the life of somebody you love was in danger?  A friend at college told me of a time when he was afraid because he was sure that he was going to die.  He was approaching a road junction a few years ago when a lorry pulled out in front of him.  In the few seconds it took for the collision to take place time seemed to slow down: He knew that there was no way he would stop the car in time and there was no way he could steer around the lorry.  He felt very, very afraid and it was only in the final moments before the collision that he felt a deep sense of peace as he remembered that as a Christian Christ was with him and that even if his earthly life ended he would go on to eternal life in heaven.  Sitting in the wreck of the car after the collision, having sustained only whiplash and a broken finger, he was amazed at how strong his faith was at that point just prior to collision and he realised that it was a special gift in that moment from God.

The disciples had every reason to be afraid and yet their fears were groundless because Jesus was with them in the boat, just as Jesus was with my friend in that car.  Jesus was asleep with his head on a pillow, unconcerned by the howling wind and the waves tumbling over and around the boat because he had faith in his Father to protect them all.

The disciples, of course, didn’t understand this; they thought that Jesus just didn’t care about them.  They woke Jesus with the words, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  These are harsh words to direct at anybody, let alone the Son of God.

Jesus acted instantly he was awake; he stilled the storm and pounding waves with the simple words, “Quiet!  Be Still!”

In this instant Jesus revealed something about himself to the disciples; something they perhaps weren’t ready for.  They had witnessed Jesus perform miracles before, healing people and casting out demons, miracles that had been performed by prophets in centuries past; but here Jesus was displaying a power they believed could only be exercised by God himself.  If Jesus could still the storm with a few simple words, what did that say about the identity of Jesus?   Their words betray their confusion: “Who is this?  Even the wind and waves obey him?”  Eventually they would understand who Jesus was an is; just as we know who Jesus was and is: God incarnate come to earth to teach us how to live and show us how to love and to die on the cross so that we might receive forgiveness for our sins and the promise of eternal life.  For now, however, Jesus was a mystery to them.

Why were the disciples so afraid?  It seems incredible to us that the disciples were so afraid when Jesus was right there with them in the boat.  We know who Jesus was and is!  We are sure that in a similar situation we would not be afraid, but I think that most of us here will be able to point to times when we have been afraid and Jesus was right there with us, because the risen Jesus is always with each and every Christian person every single moment of their lives.

I have just finished my training in Durham for Presbyteral ministry in the Methodist Church.  At the beginning of my first week in Durham in my first year I went on a coach trip with my fellow Student Ministers to Barnard Castle.  On the way back the coach developed a braking fault and was vibrating alarmingly as the driver tried to bring it to a safe halt.  I was terrified, certain that I was going to die and was told later that all the blood drained from my face.  The fact that I was in a coach full of student ministers gave me no reassurance that God would protect us and it should have done, because he did.  At that moment I am ashamed to say that I had very little faith.

There are times in all our lives when the storms of life threaten to overwhelm us.  Some who teach the unbiblical prosperity gospel tell us that when we become Christians our lives will be wonderful and problems will be a thing of the past.  This is dangerous, unbiblical and untrue teaching!  Jesus didn’t promise to protect his followers from trouble; indeed he said “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  Jesus didn’t promise us an easy life, but he did promise that he would always be with us when he said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Just as Jesus was with his disciples during the storm on the Sea of Galilee so he is with each one of us in our times of trouble, to help and guide us.

Many Christians can testify to Jesus’ presence and help in times of trouble.  Simon Peter, sitting in a cell in Jerusalem awaiting execution was rescued from his captivity by an Angel of the Lord.

Billy Graham tells the story of a Christian missionary who, together with his family, was trapped in a house surrounded by angry natives who wanted to kill them.  All night they prayed and were astonished to find they’d reached morning without being killed.  They also found the formerly hostile tribesmen strangely receptive to the gospel.  After several had been baptised the missionary asked the tribesmen why they hadn’t attacked.  “We couldn’t” they replied, “Your house was surrounded by a great army of men in white!”

Of course Jesus doesn’t always calm our storms for us; but even when he seems to be sleeping in the stern of the boat he is still with us, giving us faith and courage and guiding us through the storms of life until we reach safety.  If we come to Jesus in prayer and ask him for help he will never fail us.  He may not always give us the help we want, but he will always give us the help we need.  We may not realise at the time that Jesus was with us, but looking back we can almost always see that he was there.

Like the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee we will face many storms, but we can know that just as he was with them, Jesus will be with us too; he will never leave us or forsake us but will be with us always, to the very end of the age.

(Adapted from a sermon preached at Cleveleys Park Methodist Church on 24th June 2012)