Job-Like Faith

The Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said: Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands? When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door, and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled! (Job 38:1, 8-11)

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. 

They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” (Mark 4:35-41)

Our first reading from the Book of Job is ironic.  The Lord “set limits or the sea,” but today’s consequences of man-induced climate change have caused seas to rise and go beyond their limits. The doors of the sea are no longer shut and fastened.  Proud waves are not stilled but crash against our coastline stripping beaches of sand, causing dunes to erode and fall, and reducing many shoreline homes to rumble. The worst is yet to come despite the claims of climate change deniers – and liars.

Our own lives often feel like they are crumbling, and the waters are rising above our heads caused by debt, health worries and broken families, to name just a few heartaches. These stressors are like violent squalls with waves breaking over us.  We feel like Jesus is asleep and not with us.

Our second reading from Mark tells us to have faith and not to be terrified.  But we’re also told we have to take the initiative and wake him up.  We have to call on him and not simply wait for him to step in.  Our prayers are that call.

When we know he is awake, we are comforted, and that knowledge helps us rebuke the wind and say to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”  Through our faith in him and his healing power, we can cause the wind to cease giving us great calm.  It’s a matter of having faith knowing he is in our boat, and we recognize it is he whom even wind and sea obey, provided we do the same and have Job-like faith.

Deacon David Pierce