Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle b

MARK 4:35-41
“LORD, DO YOU NOT CARE THAT WE ARE PERISHING?” THIS IS THE CRY OF THE APOSTLES, CAUGHT IN ONE OF THOSE SUDDEN LAKE STORMS THAT ARE MORE FEROCIOUS WHEN THE LAKE IS LARGE, LIKE THE LAKE OF GALILEE WHICH THEY WERE TRYING TO CROSS. AND IT IS OUR CRY AS WELL. PERHAPS TODAY WE ARE COMFORTABLE, THINGS MAY BE GOING WELL. BUT SOME OF US IN THIS CHURCH, IN THIS PARISH, ARE CRYING OUT WITH THE APOSTLES, “LORD, DO YOU NOT CARE THAT WE ARE PERISHING?” SOME OF US FEEL OUR BODIES WEARING OUT AS WE AGE, AND WE KNOW WE WILL NEVER AGAIN HAVE THE VIGOR WE ENJOYED A FEW YEARS AGO. SOME OF US ARE LOSING OUR HEARING, OUR EYESIGHT. SOME HAVE LOST THE USE OF A LIMB, OR HAVE BEGUN TO EXPERIENCE ANNOYING AND FRIGHTENING LOSSES OF MEMORY. AND SOME OF US HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE HAVE A DISEASE THAT CAN'T BE CURED, A SENTENCE OF DEATH HAS BEEN PRONOUNCED.
“LORD, DO YOU NOT CARE THAT WE ARE PERISHING?” A MOTHER'S HEART IS BREAKING BECAUSE HER SON HAS REJECTED ALL THE VALUES SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD INSTILLED. A HUSBAND DISCOVERS THAT HIS WIFE NO LONGER WANTS TO SHARE HER LIFE WITH HIM. A FATHER OF A FAMILY HAS LEARNED THAT HIS JOB IS ABOUT TO BE TERMINATED. AND EVEN FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE HEALTHY, WHO ARE EMPLOYED, WHO ARE BLESSED WITH LOVING FAMILIES, EVEN WE KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN THERE IS NOTHING BETWEEN US AND TRUTH, THAT THERE IS ONLY A THIN WALL BETWEEN OUR COMFORT AND DISASTER, AND THAT ANY MOMENT A STORM CAN COME UP AND SNATCH AWAY ALL THAT WE NOW ENJOY.
THE APOSTLES HAD SEEN JESUS WORK MIRACLES; THEY HAD HEARD HIS WORDS, AND KNEW THAT THE LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH CARED FOR HIS CHILDREN AS A FATHER. BUT STILL THEY FEARED FOR THEIR LIVES; STILL THEY PANICKED.
AND JESUS DID NOT SAY, “THE STORM IS NOT REAL; IT IS NOT A PROBLEM.” HE REBUKED THE WIND AND THE WAVES, AND CALM WAS RESTORED. NOW NOTICE THAT THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE APOSTLES HOPED FOR; OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD THEY HAVE CRIED OUT TO HIM? THEY KNEW HE COULD SAVE THEM. BUT JESUS REBUKED THEM BECAUSE THEY DOUBTED EVEN FOR A MOMENT, THAT GOD WAS WITH THEM.
THE CHURCH, IN GIVING US THIS GOSPEL, TURNS OUR ATTENTION AS WELL TO THE BOOK OF JOB. JOB FOUND HIMSELF THE VICTIM OF A WAGER BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN, AND HE WHO WAS ONCE RICH, COMFORTABLE, SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, FOUND HIMSELF ON A HEAP OF ASHES COVERED WITH BOILS. LIKE THE APOSTLES, HE CRIED OUT. BUT JOB HAD REAL FAITH; IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS DESPAIR AND PAIN, HE INSISTED TO HIS FRIENDS THAT HE WAS INNOCENT, THAT HE DID NOT DESERVE WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO HIM. BUT HE NEVER STOPPED BELIEVING THAT GOD WAS GOOD, THAT SOMEHOW GOOD WOULD COME OUT OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WE HEAR ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE DRAMA, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU MIGHT READ THE BOOK OF JOB SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY; IT IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND BOOKS IN THE BIBLE. OUR FIRST READING, THOUGH, IS GOD'S REPLY TO JOB AND HIS FRIENDS. GOD BASICALLY SAYS THAT WE HAVE NO RIGHT, WE HAVE NO REASON, TO QUESTION WHAT HAPPENS. AND GOD DOES NOT HAVE TO JUSTIFY ANYTHING HE DOES. AND IF GOD CHOOSES TO TAKE FROM JOB EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS, WELL, JOB MUST NOT QUESTION IT, AND JOB DOES NOT. HE SAYS, “IF I HAVE ACCEPTED GOOD THINGS FROM THE LORD, SHOULD I NOT ACCEPT EVIL THINGS AS WELL?” BECAUSE THE LESSON OF THE BOOK OF JOB IS THAT GOD IS NOT OURS TO COMMAND, TO MANIPULATE; HE IS NOT OUR SERVANT. WE ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE GOD'S CREATURES, AND WHATEVER HAPPENS WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, IS THE WILL OF GOD, AND FOR THAT REASON, SOMEHOW FULFILLS THE DIVINE PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT JESUS MEANS BY FAITH; THAT'S WHAT BRINGS FORTH JESUS' CRITICISM OF HIS APOSTLES. THEIR REACTION TO THE STORM IS PROOF THAT THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LESSON JOB LEARNED; EVERYTHING IS PART OF GOD'S PLAN.
THE APOSTLES WERE RIGHT TO CALL UPON JESUS; THEY WERE RIGHT TO TRIM THE SAILS, TO BAIL THE WATER OUT OF THE BOAT; TO HANG ON TO THE ROPES AND THE SIDES OF THE BOAT WITH ALL THEIR STRENGTH. BUT THEY WERE WRONG TO SAY, “LORD, DO YOU NOT CARE THAT WE ARE PERISHING?” BECAUSE THERE IN THE BOAT THEY HAD PROOF OF GOD'S CARE; JESUS WAS IN THE BOAT WITH THEM.
IF YOU HAVE CANCER, JESUS IS THERE WITH YOU; IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR JOB, JESUS IS THERE; IF YOUR EYES ARE FAILING, IF YOUR BALANCE IS OFF, IF YOUR MIND IS SLIPPING AWAY, JESUS IS THERE WITH YOU. THAT IS THE LESSON JESUS TAUGHT HIS APOSTLES. AND IF JESUS IS THERE WITH YOU, YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON, YOU MAY WISH THINGS WERE VERY DIFFERENT. BUT FAITH GIVES US CLARITY; WE DON'T KNOW WHY GOD DOES WHAT HE DOES; WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE ALLOWS BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN. PHILOSOPHERS GIVE US POSSIBLE ANSWERS. SCIENTISTS DO AS WELL. DOCTORS CAN TELL US WHY OUR BODIES FAIL US. BUT THOSE ANSWERS DON'T HELP; ONLY FAITH HELPS. AND FAITH IS KNOWING THAT GOD THE FATHER DOES WHAT HE DOES FOR REASONS WHICH WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND; AND FAITH IS KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE IN OUR BOAT WHICH IS SINKING; JESUS IS THERE WITH US.
SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT IF WE COULD ONLY SEE TIME AND SPACE FROM GOD'S STANDPOINT, THERE IS NOTHING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO US, OR COULD HAPPEN TO US, THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT TO HAPPEN EXACTLY AS IT DID HAPPEN. AND THAT IS THE CONSOLATION OF CHRISTIANITY; THE STORM CRASHES AROUND US, THREATENS TO SINK US, WILL CERTAINLY TAKE OUR LIVES SOONER OR LATER; BUT JESUS IS IN THE BOAT WITH US. AND THAT SHOULD BE A REASON FOR CALM, FOR PATIENCE, AND EVEN FOR JOY.
SO LET US PRAY THAT NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING, WE WILL REMEMBER THAT THERE IN THE STERN OF OUR BOAT, DOZING ON A CUSHION, IS JESUS, WHO SHARES WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US.