4th Sunday after Epiphany, 30 Jan 1955
30 January 1955, St. John’s Chapel
Matthew 8:23-34: “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.” ‘And he saith unto them, why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm.’
On the Sundays after Epiphany, the Gospels centre round Christ’s Godhead. They show us how in various ways, when on earth, His power shone forth, how nature and disease, the sea and storm bowed to His authority. This morning we have heard how the great storm became the great calm. The story is full of interest, and like so many incidents in the life of Christ, it is an allegory or acted parable, as well as a history. It reminds us that what Christ once did under certain circumstances, He will always do under similar conditions. We may take great principles, which lie embedded in Gospel history, and apply their teaching to our own case. (Matthew 8:23- 34)
‘There was a great calm.’
We often wish Christ would do for us what He did for the stormy waves in the Galilean Sea. Calmness of mind is one of God’s best gifts. With most, worry is the rule of life; for we meet with much to disturb and distress: home troubles, money difficulties, business worries, ill health, mental depression, spiritual darkness and overwork. We have all within us the germs of storm and disquiet which have come down to us with our baneful inheritance of sin. Yet, agitation is a state to be avoided. It is full of mischief and wrong. It is no sin to be sorrowful – Christ was a Man of Sorrows; or to be unhappy – Christ often sighed in spirit. But agitation is wrong. When the mind is agitated it is never able to judge things correctly. The mind is not able to weigh facts rightly. Agitation weakens the will. We cannot act resolutely or with fixity of purpose. When the mind is agitated it is difficult to do any work. Agitation, excitement, anxiety – these are harmful and must be overcome. Agitation must pass into calmness, and the troubled mind must find peace.
The Gospel story can teach us how we can find peace. When the storm arose Christ was asleep and the disciples were panic stricken. They rush to Jesus and cry, “Master, Master, save us ……” They had not faith to be calm in the storm, but they had faith enough to know that safety lay in awakening Christ. He rises up and with a word stills the raging winds and waves. We can never hush a storm to rest either in the sea or in our own hearts. No mere effort of the will or force of character will ever turn our agitation into calmness. It is God who can bring peace into our minds. Many of our worries come from simple forgetfulness of the Presence of God which is always with us. With Christ sleeping there was storm; with Christ awake there was calm.
The same is true of our own spiritual life. If Christ be, so to speak, asleep and spiritual things become unreal, life will be tempestuous, troubled and unhappy. But if Christ be awake, if His presence is realised and trusted in – then even in the midst of storm, we shall be calm and brave and safe. There is a storm arising in the sea of politics in our land. Communal tension is growing daily. Very soon we will find the little boats of our lives tossed about. We know that we are helpless in such a situation. But we have every faith to know that with Christ by our side no harm can happen to us.
Prayer (BRF) Lord of the storm and of the calm, the restless sea and quiet haven, of life and of death, grant us so to have our hearts stayed on Thy faithfulness, that whatever betide us, however black the cloud or dark the night, we may look to Thee with untroubled faith.