Peace

of this sinful world, we cry out, we long for some peace to somehow insulate, or protect us from all the fury around us. We are very much like that wealthy man, searching, dreaming, wanting peace in the middle of the fury of life. We search, we long, for that peace. We even call out as the disciples did to Jesus in that sinking boat, we call out to God for peace, for comfort. We call out to God,, wondering if He is around, wondering if He is sleeping while we are searching.

The question asked more often by human beings is always some variation on this theme,’Where are you, God?" Or "God, are you sleeping?" or "God, are you dead?" or God, do you hear me?" or "God, why don’t you. answer me?"

And God’s answer, God’s ’s only answer, God’s answer that we can only understand is this: "I am in the midst of you through the crucified Christ" Yes, I am here, I am with you as I was with my Son on the cross of Calvary."

Our Old Testament Lesson and our gospel lesson focus for us this morning on that question, "Where is God in the tumult of life?" Job asks that question of God as he is suffering, the disciples ask that question of Jesus as they are sinking with their boat into the Sea of Galilee.

"Don’t you care, aren’t you concerned with our plight, why am I suffering like this," are the questions which beg for an answer in our lessons this morning.

Jesus and the disciples were crossing the sea when a sudden storm broke upon them. The disciples became afraid as the wind blew, and the fury of the storm began to fill the boat with water. These were seasoned fishermen, they had experienced these kinds of storms before, but this one was different, it was worse than they had ever experienced. They used their skills, but still they were sinking.

Then in the middle of the storm, they thought about Jesus, where was he. He was in the stern of the boat sleeping on a pillow. Jesus had that sure confidence in the peace of God which allowed Him to sleep even though the storms of life, even this storm of the sea as it was raging all about him.

But the disciples didn’t have that peace, they were afraid, they wondered if Jesus even cared for them as they awoke Him with this question "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?"

They soon saw Jesus’ caring as He awoke and spoke to the wind and the sea saying: "Peace’ Be Still !"’ Then the sea calmed, the winds stopped there was peace.

Then Jesus asked the disciples a question: "Why are you afraid?? Have you no faith?"

Jesus had peace, he was not afraid because He had faith in the Father to protect and provide for Him.

He wanted His disciples to have that same peace. A peace that knows that no matter what circumstances in life we may find ourselves, God ifs in control, so there is peace. Peace does come, peace is equal to faith in the power of God to control, to provide. The disciples saw the power of God in nature as Jesus calmed the storm. That same power is present in all circumstances of life. There is peace to life when we believe in and trust in the power of God to be with us, to guide us, to save us from all the storms of life.

The disciples were afraid because they could only see the storm, their eyes we fixed on that storm. It was difficult for them to have any peace when they were focused on the storm. The problem for the disciples and our problem is not the storms of life but