Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.27 – July 2002
Wind And Waves Obey His Voice
Sermon by Rev. H. De Waard on Luke 8:22-25
Scripture Readings: Psalm 29; Luke 8:19-25
Suggested Hymns: BoW 148; 29; 471; 357
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a miraculous story. The problem is that our culture by and large does not believe in miracles. Many of you will have seen the advertisement where a fisherman steps out of his boat and seems to be walking on water. The ad is accompanied by the words: Ah, it’s a miracle again! We are supposed to be amused because we do not believe that such a miracle is even remotely possible.
When I walk to my work at the College, I see written on the road: Jesus Lives! That was painted on the road around Easter time. Shortly afterwards someone added these words: So does Elvis! Who, after all, believes in a real, physical resurrection?
How different the view of Isaac Watts, the great hymn writer, when he wrote,
“I sing the Mighty Power of God”.
One verse reads:
“There’s not a plant or flower below
But makes Thy glories known;
And clouds arise and tempests blow,
By order from Thy Throne.”
Psalm 29 celebrates the glory of God displayed in the powerful forces of nature. Verse 4, 5 and 9 say:
“The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forest bare.
And in His temple all cry, ‘Glory!”
This psalm is a call to give glory to God:
“Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.” (vs.1)
“Clouds arise and tempests blow, by order from His throne.” It is God who commands the powerful forces of nature that are unleashed on the earth.
We all know the destruction caused by cyclones and tidal waves. Just think of the devastation caused by cyclone Tracy as it flattened Darwin in 1974. Or think of the tens of thousands killed by floods almost every year in Bangladesh. Or the tidal waves of Papua New Guinea a few years ago. It is incredible what wreckage and destruction winds and waves can cause.
In our passage from Luke 8 we are faced with the mighty forces of nature and the One who makes wind and waves obey Him. In this incident we see:
1) A display of the power and glory of Christ;
2) An explanation and admonition to faith;
3) A call to be prepared for suffering.
1) A display of the power and glory of Christ
I do not need to tell you the story in detail. You know it well. So do our girls and boys. Matthew, Mark and Luke tell this story with different details and contexts. The main concern for Luke seems to be on the need to hear and obey Jesus’ words (cf.vss.15,18,21). Jesus’ word is so authoritative that even wind and waves obey Him. So, why shouldn’t we?
This incident in the ministry of Jesus gives us a glimpse of His power and glory. The New Testament tells us that all things were created by Christ (John 1:3, Col.1:16) and that in Him all things hold together. Christ is the absolute master over everything, including the world of nature. He changed water into wine. He walked on water. He made a fig tree wither. He fed 5000 people with a few loaves and fish. He raised Lazarus from the dead. Wind and waves obey him. No wonder the disciples were afraid and asked one another, “Who, then, is this?”
They could have known! Psalm 89, speaking of God, says: “You rule over the surging sea, when its waves mount up, you still them.” Who is this? It is God-in-the-flesh displaying His power and glory.
When Jesus had shown His power over water by changing it into wine, Scripture says, “He thus revealed His glory!” (John 2:11). It is the glory of a new age that dawned with the coming of Christ. An age that ushered in the defeat of the powers of the evil one and the victory of the Son of God!
At the grave of Lazarus, some grumbled, “Why could he not have kept this man from dying?” Of course He could have! But Jesus waited and then demonstrated His power by raising Lazarus from death, so that you may believe.
The Christian Gospel is all about the power and glory of Christ. When we think about the gospel, we think in terms of what Jesus has done for us. So we think of what Jesus does for me. Let’s see: He forgives, He makes me right with God, He helps me live a holy life, He carries my pain, He listens to me in prayer, He reduces my anxiety level. All of that is true, and thank God for such blessings.
But there is something greater. Ultimately the Gospel points us to the glory of God in the face of Jesus (John 1:14, 2Cor.4:6). We see the glory in His deity, in His power, in His kindness in touching the untouchables, and in His washing the feet of His disciples, who would not dream of doing this for each other. We see His compassion in comforting a grieving mother. We see His glory in His acceptance of the torture of the cross. We see His glory in His resurrection and in His coming again in glory!
Faced with the awesome powers of the One who controls wind and waves, we either worship Him or curse Him for the devastation caused in this world.
Remember the story of Job? He lost all his children when a mighty wind struck and destroyed the house in which they were partying (1:19). What was Job’s wife’s reaction? “Curse God and die!” And how did Job react? Job rose and tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground and WORSHIPPED!
Will we worship the One who has mastery over nature? Will we worship with Job in the midst of dust and ashes and say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord”? Shall we not even in the midst of affliction say what the daughter of a Swedish pastor wrote when she lost her father in a drowning accident:
Day by day and with each passing moment
Strength I find to meet my trials here
Trusting in My Father’s wise bestowment
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear
Or, as we find it in Hymn 471:
Be still, my soul! The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
- An explanation and admonition to faith
This incident also tells us something about the nature and need for faith. Jesus’ question, ‘Where is your faith?’ implies an admonition and at the same time tells us something about the nature of faith. In Mark’s account, the disciples criticise Jesus for going to sleep in their hour of need: “Master, don’t you care if we drown?”
Luke emphasises the disciples’ unbelief: “Where is your faith?” When we get alarmed, when we allow our feelings to get the better of us, we lack faith in Christ’s concern and care for us. We want to take charge and take care of the situation ourselves. It seems that Jesus either does not care or the situation is beyond Him. Our reaction to difficulties will show either the smallness or the bigness of our faith.
You have faith, but where is it at this moment of need? Faith is not a matter of feeling. If that were so it would be as changeable as the weather. Here one day, gone the next. Faith is the response of the whole person to the truth and glory of God. This kind of faith is not thermostatically controlled, so that when your faith cools sufficiently it kicks in automatically. No, faith is an activity. It has to be exercised and applied in a concrete situation. How do you do it?
Do not allow yourself to be controlled by the situation you face. The disciples panicked. That is our problem, too. We imagine all the bad things that can possibly happen and our minds and hearts give us no rest. Philippians 4 urges us to pray and to have our hearts and minds guarded by Jesus (Phil.4:6-7).
Remind yourself of what you know to be true. He has told us that the very hairs of our head are numbered, so would He leave us in the lurch in difficult circumstances? I will never leave or forsake you. All things seem to be against me but I know He loves me and cares. While I was an enemy of God, Christ died for me. Would He now let me down? Impossible…!
All things work together for the good of those who love Him. Ultimately everything will be alright. Our hope is secure. That’s not a shallow optimism that says, “It’s not so bad, with a positive attitude we can lick this.” Many things are not alright. It is precisely in a world that is not alright that we have to exercise our faith.
Of course we would all want to have a strong faith. Perhaps you say, “It does not work that way with me. Perhaps I have no faith at all.” You become discouraged. Be careful. The faith of the disciples was small and weak. Yet it was there and they went to the right address. They believed that perhaps Jesus could do something about their frightful situation. Faith even like a tiny mustard seed is valuable if it takes us to Christ. He will not reject us. He is full of compassion, gentleness and love.
That also leads me to say that we ought not to expect too much in our brothers and sisters. So often we make rash conclusions about others when they don’t measure up to our standards. We may question whether they have faith at all! Let us be quick to see the signs of grace in others and slow to pick up on their imperfections. We are still in the body. We are not angels. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, but not yet perfect temples. The disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus, yet at this point they were afraid and failed the test of faith.
Brothers and sisters, where is your faith? Make sure it is active precisely at the point of need and testing.
- A call to be prepared for suffering
We may think that following Christ will keep us from trial and tribulation.
Perhaps the disciples had counted on the fact that Jesus being with them would keep them free from trouble, provide an easy course and guarantee fine weather. Wrong! If you are a believer, you must count on your share of cares, troubles, losses and crosses. There is no promise that we will always be healthy, wealthy and carefree.
We are not exempt from trouble. In Chapter 8 of Luke the disciples came face to face with a storm, a demon-possessed man, an invalid and a corpse! Coming to God in faith takes place in a painful and real story. There are adverse circumstances of life, afflictions of the mind, physical illness, and the last enemy. All these have to be faced at some stage.
It is true that all these stories in Luke 8 have a happy ending. Christ demonstrated His power to overcome evil in each case. But Jesus did not cast out every demon in the land. He did not change water into wine every day – only once, as far as we know. And only Peter walked on water, with very doubtful results!
The Lord does not always work the way we expect. Yes, He is present, He is powerful, He will bring good out of evil. But He may wish us to endure. He may answer: Not yet! Or simply answer: No!
The disciples needed to learn these lessons because Jesus would shortly send them out to preach the Kingdom of God. They were to be His missionaries. In chapter 9 and 10, He sends out His disciples to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (9:2). Jesus clearly indicated that their mission would be no picnic! Hence, they needed to be prepared.
How would we ever become more holy if we had no trials? Or more believing and trusting? How could we ever present a credible witness to the world if it were not for the power to cope with the evils of life?
This is the miracle we are to proclaim: Christ has power over wind and waves and in Him we are more than conquerors. We are never free from trials, nor are we helpless in facing our trials. We are victorious over them.
Therefore, be still, my brothers and sisters. See the glory of the One whom wind and waves obey and have faith and assurance that this same Lord will guide you into the future. For the wind and waves still know His voice, who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Amen.