That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41).

Years ago, a group of young men set sail one morning from Galveston Bay near Houston. They intended to enjoy a day of sailing. The day began with a clear bright blue sky. They made good time to the mouth of the Galveston Bay and out into the Gulf of Mexico. You can imagine that they were swapping stories about their businesses and families. Suddenly, the situation changed. A storm came up quickly and unexpectedly. The light of day became dark as night. The gentle swells turned into waves. They could not see other boats around them. What began as a simple day sailing trip turned into a frightening experience. Many years later when the story was recounted to me, I could still detect the fear in the voice of my friend. My friend said that he had never been this scared in all his life.

Hard times require a deep faith. This reminder is important to us today. Hardly a week goes by when someone does not send me an article about the difficulty of Christian life in America. Recently, I’ve been reading a book written just after President Reagan’s Presidency. The book discusses the remarkable religious revival that preceded his election, and the emergence of Christian faith as a force in politics after a long absence. I’ve been smiling as I read the book because the author seems to assume that this religious resurgence was going to be a permanent part of American politics. Today, as in the 1960’s, religion seems to be losing influence. This has many Christians depressed. Nearly every meeting I attend has some seminar on the gradual shrinking of the church in America. This phenomenon, which used to be limited to what we sometimes call “Old Line” denominations, has more recently impacted churches across the board in America. The question for us is, “Can we remain faithful and strong in our discipleship during stressful times?” I think we can.

Jesus Calms the Storm

 The Story of the Calming of the Sea completes a section of Mark in which Jesus intensively teaches and heals. As mentioned over the past several weeks, Jesus took time to explain to the disciples in detail the Parable of the Four Soils. He even warned them that, when difficult times come, it is hard for those without a deep faith to endure. Then, unexpectedly the disciples are faced with a test of their faith. They go sailing on the Sea of Galilee and are caught in a great storm. They lack faith in Jesus and are rebuked by him as he calms the storm.

This story comes at an important time in the life of the disciples. Jesus had been revealed to them as a person of great charisma, as a doer of mighty deeds of healing and exorcism, as a teacher of unusual wisdom, and as the one who will usher in the Kingdom of God. Jesus has spent special time with them and given them special teaching. You can imagine that the disciples were filled with energy, but also tired from the ceaseless activity of their ministry. Today we would say, “They were living on adrenalin.” When the disciples set sail with Jesus, you can imagine that they were looking forward to the short day sail to the region on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, as well as to some well-deserved rest.

The Sea of Galilee is an interesting inland sea. As the Jordan River flows southward from its headwaters in the north of Israel near the Lebanon border, it falls some 700 feet below sea level into a basin that forms the sea itself. Due to the hills surrounding the lake, the sea can experience rapid temperature changes, as well as wind changes. This can result in extremely violent and unexpected storms. [1] Jesus and his disciples were caught in just such a storm.

I think most of us have observed that storms of life can come at unexpected times and in unexpected ways. They often come during periods just after we have endured a time of peak performance or stress. I have observed that, at times when I am already tired from Christmas or Easter, there can be particularly difficult issues at Advent. In business, many businessmen and women have seen how often when they are tired and ready for a rest, there are problems at work. Often, just when we think we have a problem solved within our families, with our spouse, or in some other relationship, and are looking forward to smooth sailing, we enter a time of anxiety and stress.

Sometimes the Storms of Life are Perfect Storms

In the year 2000, one of the most successful movies was called, “The Perfect Storm”. [2] The Perfect Storm is based upon an actual incident in which a New England fishing vessel was sunk when it was trapped between two weather fronts and a hurricane, forming a so-called “Perfect Storm.” The story begins with a sea captain played by George Clooney returning from a fishing voyage with less than success. He is in a difficult period of failure. Although it is late in the season, the captain persuades the crew to return to sea for one last fishing trip before winter comes. Due to difficulties on the trip, they decide that they must return although they know that to do so they will pass through a storm. It is a fateful decision. Caught between a hurricane and two fronts, the ship is tossed in 40-foot waves and finally turns over and sinks with all lives lost.

This is the kind of experience the disciples were having—and it is the kind of experience we all have from time to time. When we have economic hard times, there are stresses on marriages, budgets, families, children, churches, and society itself. Sometimes in the life of you and me, the various negative factors in the environment around us combine into what seems to us to be an emotional, physical, and spiritual perfect storm. It is scary, and the longer it lasts, and the tireder we get, the harder it is to retain our faith in the midst of the troubles. Sometimes we misjudge the size of the storm we are just about to enter. Therefore, we must understand how to survive a “Perfect Storm.”

Keys to staying Afloat in a Perfect Storm

Around the year 1633, the painter Rembrandt painted a picture of the story of Jesus Calming the Sea. The picture is one of the most famous in art history. Rembrandt pictures Jesus and the twelve disciples in the boat. He even puts himself in the picture as the 13^th disciple, representing all of us. In the picture, Rembrandt depicts how people react in a storm. There is a man with the rudder  desperately trying to keep the boat pointed into the waves so it does not capsize. There are four experienced sailors, perhaps Peter, Andrew, James and John, trying to take down the sails and fix the ropes that have come apart in the storm to keep the wind from capsizing the boat and breaking the mast. Another disciple has his head over the rail about to lose his lunch. Other disciples are holding on for dear life. Two disciples are waking Jesus and complaining about his sleeping through the storm. As Rembrandt pictures the scene, no one is looking at Jesus.

The picture intends to give us some clues taken from the story to show us how the disciples might have reacted and how we might react as a kind of warning. While it is a good thing that the disciples who know how to sail are trying to save the ship, it is probably not a good thing that they are not even looking at Jesus. The disciples who are berating Jesus are not doing anything constructive. The best thing we can do in a Perfect Storm is keep our eyes on Scripture and upon Jesus and try as best we can to navigate the storm with the wisdom and strength of God. Even more importantly, when we take our eyes off Christ, we may be implicitly admitting that we are not fully sure of the love and mercy of God in this situation.

A second lesson that we need to remember is this: Continuing to do the things that got us into the storm in the first place are not likely to get us out. One of the underlying themes of the movie The Perfect Storm is that for all of the positive character traits of George Clooney, he is leading his men to a watery grave because of his human pride and ego. So often, as parents, spouses, workers, business owners, and citizens, we continue to try to do the very same things that got us into the storm in the first place. Unconsciously, we may be attempting to prove we were right all along or that our approach to the problem is right. Frequently, this is a big mistake. The first thing we need to do in a storm is look God right in the face and be willing to change. We need to have faith that the God who led us into the storm will get us out. The fact that Jesus was asleep is a sign that Jesus trusts God his Father to either rescue him from the storm or to bring good from the storm that sunk the ship of his life. Jesus can sleep because he has faith.

Over Aggressiveness is Never the Best Strategy in a Perfect Storm

One of the most famous incidents of the Second World War is an event sometimes called “Halsey’s Typhoon,” although it was actually two hurricanes. In December of 1944, through a confluence of errors, not all of which were the fault of Admiral Halsey, Admiral “Bull” Halsey sailed the entire Third Fleet right into the Center of a huge typhoon. In the end, 790 men were killed, 100 aircraft were lost, three ships were sunk, and many ships were damaged, some very seriously. The losses were more extensive than the losses of the American Fleet at the Battle of Midway. The losses were so serious that America’s most famous sailor had to endure a Court of Inquiry. About six months later, Admiral Halsey sent his fleet into another hurricane with additional serious damage to the fleet. This time after a court of inquiry Halsey was reassigned. His defect as a leader was described in both instances as over-aggressiveness. Let’s be clear, Admiral Halsey was the most famous fighting admiral of World War II. He was one of only four five star admirals (Fleet Admirals) in American history. He was a great leader. Unfortunately, tired after four years of war and near the end of his career, he allowed the military virtue of aggressiveness to become his downfall.

Psychologists talk a lot about the Fight or Flight Syndrome. All of us, male and female, old and young, when threatened tend to aggressively do what we think will work to bring the success, joy and happiness we desire. Often it is a response we have made to stress over and over again during our lives, and which we should know will not work. The Story of the Jesus Calming the Storm reminds us that for disciples, this is not the right move. A calm, sure, faith in God, and a wise, loving response to the problem is always the better choice.

Copyright 2015, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved

[1] Harpers Bible Dictionary (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1985), 330.

[2] William D. Wittliff, wr. The Perfect Storm dir. Wolfgang Peterson. Produced by Paul Weinstein, Wolfgang Peterson, Gail Katz staring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, based upon The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (June 30, 2000). My description is based upon the wikipedia article about the movie. Not upon the actual events upon which the movie is based.