Let's go back to the early years of our country, when the west was sparsely inhabited. In those days, most everything was found on the east coast. But there were some brave folk who struck out for the unknown – the Wild West. We called them pioneers.
Of those who traveled west, the story is told of a weary traveler who came to the banks of the Mississippi River for the first time. No bridge spanned its mile wide course. It was early winter and the surface of the mighty stream was covered with ice. Could he dare to cross? Would the uncertain ice bear his weight?
Finally, after much prayer and with great hesitation, he began to creep cautiously across the surface of the ice, crawling on hands and knees, fearful that it could not support him. Inch by inch he crept, for he thought that if he would distribute his weight as much as possible, he could keep the ice from breaking beneath him.
Halfway across he heard the sound of singing coming up quickly behind him. Suddenly, out of the dusk loomed the figure of a man driving a horse-drawn load of coal across the ice, singing merrily as he went his way. What a contrast! Here was the traveler, creeping on all fours, trembling lest the ice was not strong enough to hold him. And there, as if whisked away by the wind, went the man, horses, wagon, and load of coal upheld by the very ice on which the fearful traveler crept.
As you approach the uncertainties of life, who are you most like? Some Christians have learned only to creep upon the promises of God. Cautiously, timidly, tremblingly they venture forth in life, as though the lightness of their step might make the situation more secure. But the Lord's promise and strength is always certain as He encourages: “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; yea, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is.41:10).
He has promised to uphold us! Why should we creep and be afraid as though His Word is not good? Where Is Our Faith?
I. A question that gently shakes us.
It's the same question Jesus asked of His disciples in our text to gently shake them up after He had taken care of the scary situation for them. He said, “Why are you so afraid? Do you not yet have faith?”
Do you note a tinge of sadness there? After all they had been through and seen with Him of His grace and power - miracle after miracle; sermon after sermon. He had always provided, even in the most difficult of situations. Who could deny His abilities?
So, what happened out there on the stormy water when the wind howled and the waves crashed, tossing their little ship about? First, they looked to themselves to get out of their perilous predicament. But when their abilities failed and the boat got swamped, they panicked. “Teacher,” they cried, don't you care if we drown?”
After hearing and seeing so much of His loving care for all, such little confidence they had in their Friend. At least they went to Him. But barely, if at all, they crept upon their faith in Him, so much so that the Lord felt constrained to gently chide: “Why are you so afraid? Where Is Your Faith ?” (Lk.8:25)
Did you hear, dear friends, what the Lord said to Job in our first lesson this morning? When Job's faith also wavered, the Lord reminded Him of His power saying, “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?”(38:8f).
God is in control. He not only made the winds and the waves, but He limited there abilities. In His wisdom He fixed their boundaries. Can any of us do that? We can't control flood waters from swamping our cities. We don't have the know-how to prevent the winds from blowing down our houses and barns. But He does. Yet, so often we either think we know better than He – like Job did, or we fail to trust His desire and ability to help us. And we panic, just like the disciples.
It's almost to be expected, isn't it, for we are weak in ourselves? And that's not such a bad thing to see. When our voyage through life is battered by the tempests of troubles that arise, we too are shaken. In fact, it can be expected that even the firmest of believers will be fearful, for we are not yet perfected. Sin and temptation still affect us here. No matter how brave a front you put up, who can face calamity without wincing? Who can receive a serious illness or a misfortunate accident without shock? Even Job, the most righteous and upright man of his time was shaken.
And God does not expect that we will not be shaken either. Nor does our Christian faith demand us to put on a false mask of manly bravado. The Lord Jesus Himself wept at the grave of His friend. And the Apostle Paul did not berate the Christians in Thessalonica for crying because of their losses when their loved ones had died. But in their shaken state he reminded them that “we do not grieve like the rest of men who have no hope” (1:4:13). For we've got the surest hope of all – Christ – by our side. He will be our anchor in every storm of life.
So, dear friend, if in your weakness you find yourself beginning to creep ahead in fear of what life might bring, if you find yourself allowing the storms of trouble to cause you great alarm, if you find yourself beginning to permit the clouds of adversity to darken the memory of the Savior's sunshine of grace, it is good to hear His gentle voice reminding: Where Is Your Faith? It's a question that gently shakes us to our senses for without Him we are lost. And then He goes to work to help us.
II. A question that points us to His grace.
After the disciples awoke Him, Jesus rose to His feet. With a wave of His hand and a word from his lips the turbulent sea was smoothed and the howling wind subsided. “Hush! Be still!” He said. And it was so. Immediately the wind died down and all was completely calm.
What a sight that must have been! There in the mystic calm that followed the storm, our Lord stood before them in all His glory. In order that they would not miss the impact of it all, He asked, “Why are you so afraid? Where is your faith?” It was a question given to point them to His grace, for in His great love, so undeserved at times because of weakness, He provides what is needed to comfort and take care of us. It was as if He said, “Here is the faith that will comfort and take care of you. It is in me – your Savior.”
Consider, dear friend, how that word of the Savior was spoken not during the storm, but after the raging had subsided….not before the miracle was done, but immediately following it…not before the fears arose, but after they had surfaced.
And so it is that at the times of our weakness, and more so, after the trouble has subsided, He does His work that we might be more mindful of our weak state and His strength. For if we did not have to go through the struggle and fail, how would we ever find our strength and rest in Him. We would think that it was our strong arm and our great ability that got us through and solved the problem.
This is my fear for myself, for our church, for our synod, and especially for all our country in these uncertain times. When things seem to be going against us, when houses are lost, jobs are not found, and financial abilities falter, we make plans to pull ourselves out of our difficulties. And that is good to the extent that the Lord gives us the brains and the abilities to make it through and then says, “If any would not work, neither should he eat.” We must do all within our power to do the work the Lord gives us to do in our families, in our church, and in our land.
And yet who was it that got the disciples out of their troubles? It was not they, the experienced sea men who saved themselves, it was their Lord who provided the means for survival. As they went to Him in their need, He did not abandon them but poured out His grace upon them. And so that they might not miss the moment, there He stood in the wreckage of the storm, arms outstretched in blessing over them, for even the wind and the wave must in the end obey Him.
What a picture you have there, dear friend, of the Lord in your life. He stands tall in the boat, arms outstretched over you, blessing you with calm after the storm has done its part. The Savior never abandons His people, not even in their weakest moments. Oh, He might allow the storms to show us our own weakness and inabilities, but that is done not to harm us. It happens that He might gently shake us as He points us to His great grace for our lives, for the Lord Jesus holds not only the winds and the waves in His hands, but He wants to hold our very souls. With His blood He cleansed us from our sin when we were unable. With His Spirit He made us His own through the waters of Holy Baptism and the hearing of His Word. And by that Word He still guides, strengthens, and keeps us as His own now and for all eternity.
So, dear friend, Where is Your Faith? What better, safer, more comforting, and happier place can it be than in Him who stands in the calm of every storm to bless you? Here is your faith; it is in Christ Jesus, the Lord. Don't creep on His promises. Rather, stand boldly on Him. God grant us such a faith for Jesus' sake. Amen.