Jump Start # 3690

Mark 4:41 “And they became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’”

It’s Halloween. Here and there one sees skeletons in yards, horror movies on TV and costumes that are so real that they seem real. I’ve got neighbors who really get into Halloween. They create a mini cemetery in their yards. Some have giant spiders hanging over the mailboxes.

Our verse today, taken from a section in Mark where there are a series of fast moving miracles, calming the storm, flowing into the next chapter and the casting out multiple of demons. The emotions within these two powerful sections are hard to fully understand. The disciples thought that they were about to die in the storm. They awaken a sleeping Jesus and say, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” Putting that into our words today, “We are about to die!” Have you ever been that scared? And, as Jesus calms the storm, our verse appears. They become “very much afraid.” This wasn’t due to the storm. The storm was over. They ought to be breathing easier now. They ought to be reflective and calming down. Instead, it’s just the opposite. Their fear level climbed.

And, as we turn the page in Mark, here comes this wild looking, naked man running towards them, screaming. I’d be back in the boat, if I were them. The text doesn’t tell us that they were afraid, but is that necessary? Can’t you imagine it and see it? What was this man going to do?

Now, on a night in which children dress up and go door to door to get candy, scary music and movies fill the air, it might be good to reflect about fear. We might get a moment of scare when a child hides behind a door and pops out to our surprise. We might get scared for a moment when a car nearly hits us. But those moments pass quickly and we don’t dwell upon them. In contrast, multiple times in the Gospels we find the disciples afraid.

• Seeing Jesus walking on the water, they became afraid
• At the transfiguration, the three disciples were ‘very much afraid.’
• At the tomb, the angel spoke to the women and said, “Do not be afraid’
• When the shepherds in the field saw the angels who came to announce the birth of Jesus, they became terribly frightened.

We don’t get scared much these days. I can only imagine what sitting through a hurricane would be like. Last year, I went sky diving and the moment I left the plane, that was scary. But most days, things are pretty calm and normal. Here are some thoughts:

First, fear reminds us that there are things beyond our control. Storms. Death. Crime. Violence. Many people have had to face terrifying things. Daniel in a lion’s den. The three Jewish men being thrown into a fiery furnace. Israel seeing the coming Egyptians, while they had a massive sea in front of them. Jonah inside the giant fish.

Sometimes, the fear is imagined. What if I run out of money when I am retired? What if the kids no longer want to visit? What if I have to go to a nursing home? And, those unknown and imagined fears can be as real as a thump in the night.

Second, it’s hard for others to understand your fear. When I read our verse today, it doesn’t make me fearful. I have the rest of the N.T. I know how the story ends. I know what happens. They didn’t. And, so it is with each other. I don’t understand the fear that a new widow has when she walks into an empty house and has no one to talk to. I don’t understand the fear that the parents of a prodigal live every day. What is it like to have more bills than money and more problems than options?

I may not understand your fear. But I can be there for you. I can pray with you. I can hold your hand. I can listen to you. I may not think you have anything to fear, but I am not in your shoes. Fear tends to lessen when we are with others.

Third, the one sure solitude is that God is greater than anything we fear. God is greater than death. He conquered it. God is greater than any health issue. God can be with us and is with you, when others cannot. When you walk into that dark, empty house, God is with you. When there is no one to talk to, He is there. He hears. When the medical results do not turn out favorably, God is there. His promises are sure. His word is comfort. His way is absolute.

On a night which people try to scare, remember the greatest fright is dying without knowing the Lord. Our choices. Our steps. Our decisions. They take us closer to the Lord and with the Lord or they ignore the Lord. But one day, we will stand before the throne of God. It will be a great day for those who have trusted the Lord and walked close to Him. It will be sheer terror for those who have closed their eyes to the Lord.

Fear—sometimes it can lead to good things.

Roger