Jonathan Switzer: The Role of Faith

There were clear skies as we drove the short thirty minute drive north to the slopes. The temperature was in the mid twenties and my 7 and 9 year old (well they are both on the verge of their next birthdays 8 and 10), blonde haired boys were wired with anticipation. Today would be their first ever ski trip.

As we pulled up to Ski Liberty just over the border into Pennsylvania, the oldest made me promise to not make them go to the top of the mountain. “I’m scared of heights” he warned me. As they gazed at the towering snow-laden heights (good thing we were not in Vermont or Colorado), they fearfully asked which slopes they would be riding.

Faith is a funny thing. The very thing that we claim that we want is the very thing that we are scared to death to actually do. We will complain and hem and haw and then when the opportunity presents itself, be unprepared for what is actually required. For example, we might say we want a promotion and then when we get it spend our time complaining about the irritating people we now have to manage. We might say that we want a bigger house, then feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities to keep the yard cut and the house clean. We might yearn for a relationship then spend our time complaining about the significant other when we get one.

Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the essence of things not seen. Sometimes, we are better off not getting what we hoped for.

We are going to look at several stories in Mark’s gospel from chapter 4:35-6:6. They are tied together by the theme of faith and the implications when it is or is not present.

Faith for Rest in the Storms
The first story finds Jesus and the disciples in a boat as Jesus was finishing his teaching to the crowds about seeds. They were accompanied by several other boats.

We pick up the story with Jesus saying it’s time to go to the other side of the Lake. Apparently, they left just as they were. They did not get any food or clothes. They just picked up the anchor and headed east. On their way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Mark says, (Mark 4:37) “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”

Now, this will always be a great illustration for whatever storms we face in life. We wanted to grow up, get cars, jobs, married…we wanted more. Then, we got what we wanted.

As they say, “when it rains it pours.”

The disciples and much of the nation had been longing for a savior. They had been longing for healing or someone to set them free from their oppressors, Roman or demonic. They wanted to be with Jesus.

However, so often, when we get what we want in life, it is different than we expected. It is often accompanied by situations that will test our desire, test our courage and test our perseverance.

What is amazing about this story is that Jesus had lain down to rest on a cushion in the stern. Jesus was resting. The complete and total absence of any concern for their safety was absolutely clear. When the disciples woke Jesus in fear for their own safety they put it like this, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

How often do we read other people’s response as a lack of care? How often do we get offended when others don’t show the concern that we have about something?

Was Jesus irresponsible here? Should he have paid better attention to the weather channel and canceled the trip? Was he being cavalier? In our seat belt’s mandatory society with all of the rules and regulations covering everything from bicycle helmets to food consumption it can seem a bit foolhardy just to be out on a lake on such a day.

Maybe it was just poor boat trip leadership. Jesus was a preacher not a sailor.

But worse than just leading a trip into bad weather, Jesus was sleeping. King David tells about a time when he fasted for days (Psalm 35:14) because of a friend that was sick. At least a friend should show concern and hold vigil together with everyone else through the storm, helping to bail out the boat.

But No…Jesus was sleeping in the stern on a cushion.

When they finally woke him up, they wondered if he even cared about them.

Of course, Jesus did care. He probably looked around, noted the worry on their faces and then turned and rebuked the wind and waves. And yes, it is an amazing miracle that the wind and waves obeyed, but Jesus next words seem, again, to be almost uncaring. He said, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Now, wives, would you ever let your husband get away with such a comment if he was doing something you felt was irresponsible? Parents, would you ever let your children respond with such a rebuke if you found them in the midst of a dangerous situation?

Nevertheless, how many of us have trouble sleeping at night due to worry and anxiety? How often does the fear of finances running out or relationships falling apart run around in our heads at all hours of the night?

When Jesus rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith, he was making it clear: God was in control. If God wanted to take them home, then they would go home. If God wanted them to continue to do ministry, then they had nothing to fear. God would take care of things. Jesus did not rebuke the wind and waves because of his own discomfort or fear, but because of that of the disciples.

Furthermore, Jesus knew that he still had ministry to do. He was to die in Jerusalem for the sins of the world. His life purpose and destiny was clear. But, Jesus responded to the disciple’s level of faith. He rebuked the wind and the waves and they died down. However, he also then turned and rebuked the disciples for not having enough faith.

I often wonder, if the disciples had more faith, would they have viewed the stormy seas as almost a fun thing? We go to amusement parks all the time where we are amused by rides designed to take us to the edge of fear. We subject ourselves to such exquisite tortures because of our confidence that the designer of the ride has built everything just right. Their insurance agents have assured the park goer that everything will be just fine.

We get on airplanes all the time based on our confidence in the designer of the airplane. Cars, boats, etc. So much of life is based on faith in the wisdom of the designer.

Yet, when it comes time to trust God, the designer of the universe and our lives, we are so often not willing. Jesus was there at the creation of the world. He helped design the wind and the waves. It was the Son of God sleeping in the stern of that ship that day.

We, too, are sons and daughters of God. Jesus told us that he knows the number of the hairs on our head. He takes care of the sparrow and lily of the field, how much more valuable are humans like you and I. He alone is the one that we need to fear.

When we put our head down on our pillows at night and remember that Jesus said that each day has enough worries of its own, remember that Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow, we find ourselves face to face with a decision: Do I trust God or not? If I do, I get some sleep that night. If I do not, then I might need someone more mature in the Lord to help me to know the Father’s instructions (like with my skiing sons) so that we can be laid to sleep in peace.

Often times, night terrors or fear of the dark keep children from being able to sleep. A good parent takes the time to assure their child that everything will be okay, that there is nothing to fear (no monsters under the bed or in the closet). In the same way, we also find ourselves lacking faith when it is time to rest. We resent others who are able to rest. We are bothered that we are the only ones that seem to be facing the storm for the great danger that it is.

In those moments, we should take our cue from Jesus. It’s not the storms that are gonna get us. It is our lack of faith that needs to change. We need to let go and leave things in God’s hands.

Going Where God takes Us
Let me be clear, I had been able to take my sons skiing because of a friend who had handled the cost of the lift and equipment. Nevertheless, as a parent with sons on skiis for the first time, I was a bit worried about how they would handle it. Would they hurt themselves? Would they pick up the skills and have the balance necessary?

Sure enough, I found myself very proud of them. After a couple of lessons on the practice slope, they were itching for something a bit longer and exciting. They wanted to go fast.

I took them to the top of the mountain.

However, on the way up, as the lift slowly took us higher and higher, they began to lose some of their braggadocio. They even began to worry about how safe they would be. Though, I assured them there was a bunny slope that wound down the far side of the mountain, they couldn’t get their fearful eyes off the black diamond right under the lift on our way up.

I had to keep assuring them everything would be okay. Even once we were off the lift and at the top of the bunny slope they couldn’t quite believe that it was the same as what they were doing at the bottom of the mountain.

But then, after we got going a bit, with me reminding them each step of the way to do what they were taught on the training slope, they began to relax and enjoy things again. Jonathan was very diligent to snow plow and go back and forth down the slope. He did a good job controlling his speed.

Christopher, on the other hand, couldn’t quite get the technique. He soon developed a technique of his own. It was point your skis down hill and go until you were going too fast and then use the skills you were supposed to be using to turn and control your speed to do a controlled crash. Then get up and do it all over again.

Now, I was the fearful one. With Jonathan, I was just fine. With Christopher however, I was suddenly the one who was less than confident. Would he be okay? Sure enough, he was just fine. The big smiles on both faces at the bottom assured me that they were ready to do it again from the top of the mountain.

In the same way, we need to trust our heavenly Father to take us to higher and more difficult places. We need to trust Him. We must not allow a lack of faith to keep us on the practice slope. There comes a time to face the real thing.

However, not all those around Jesus were willing to accept his rebuke to have faith. Consider the next story Mark tells about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.

Too Much Wierdness
Jesus and the disciples arrived at the other side of the lake. They were promptly greeted by a demon-possessed man who characteristically began to shout about Jesus’ divinity. He identified himself as “legion” because there were so many demons in him. (A legion was 3-6 thousand men…that’s a lot of demons!)

Jesus, also characteristically, responded by telling the demon to come out. The demons responded by pleading with Jesus to not send them out of the area but into a herd of about 2000 pigs.

Once again Jesus prudence here seemed to be confused. Why would he agree to send the demons into the pigs? Didn’t he know the economic pain such a move would cause? Nevertheless, Jesus sent the demons into the pigs. The pigs, all 2000 of them, promptly ran right down into the water and drowned.

This sent the pig-herders running to town to tell everyone what had happened. All the people from the town came running out to see. When they saw Jesus and the demon-possessed man sitting there in his right mind, it wierded them out.

They were completely unprepared for that. They had done everything they could to try to bind the demon-possessed man and failed. However, losing two thousand pigs in order to get that man healed; that was too much.

Was it the financial hit? Was it the drowned pork? Was it the revelation that thousands of demons had inhabited the man? Was it the raw spiritual power shown by Jesus Christ?

We are not told.

Nevertheless, the locals were not ready for it. They had no faith for it. As a result, they wanted Jesus to leave. They might have spent years wishing to see the man changed but they were not ready to actually have it happen.

Like my sons riding up the lift getting higher and higher, all of a sudden they wanted out.

They pleaded with Jesus to leave.

And of course, Jesus did. But first, he sent the now free young man back home to testify to his family and town about what God’s mercy had done for him. All who heard it were amazed.

Wanting More
The boat trip back to Capernaum seemed uneventful til the crowds showed back up. Jesus might have been begged to leave the Gerasene region, but back in Capernaum he was in high demand. One synagogue ruler in particular, Jairus, pleaded earnestly for Jesus to come and heal his daughter.

One place they pleaded with him to leave. In another place they pleaded with him to come. Both pled because of the miraculous power that Jesus demonstrated, healing the demoniac and healing a daughter.

On the way to Jairus’ house, one person’s desire to be near and touch the power Jesus brought really stood out. She had been bleeding for ten years and spent all she had on doctors to no avail. She just wanted to touch Jesus. She had no other options.

Sure enough, when she did, what she hoped would happen did. She was healed immediately. However, she got more than what she wanted. Jesus stopped and wanted to know who had touched him. We are told that she came and knelt before Jesus’ feet with fear and trembling.

She just wanted to be healed, not actually have to talk to Jesus. Her faith took her places she was unprepared to go. Jesus put her attention back off herself and where it needed to be. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Then things started to really get scary…

All day we had been riding the lift over what they call “the park”. It was a section of the mountain devoted to jumps and various extreme skiing elements. There were several kids the age of my boys that were riding down it and doing various jumps. These kids clearly had been skiing longer than just one day.

Nevertheless, my boys started wanting to go down that part of the mountain. Finally, I told them that if they would do a blue (medium) slope with me then I would take them down to the “park”, which was also labeled blue. I didn’t want my boys to be clogging up the fun slopes for more experienced adrenaline seekers.

That took us back to the top of the mountain to the beginning of a blue slope. Sure enough, the steepness of it threw them off. They just weren’t sure they really wanted to pay such a high price for the park.

Dad, however, had decided that it was time for them to go to the next level. Their strong desire to do the park had set his mind. At the top of the blue slope, the struggle began.

It did not last long, but it was enough that several snow boarders near by wondered out loud about my pushing the boys to go for it. After my two sons moaned and groaned about it being too steep, they finally went for it.

Jonathan led the way. Dad continued to coach, “snow plow! Back and forth! Mash your big toe on the outside ski to turn! Lift up your inside ski just a bit!” Though they took quite a while to get down the slope, they made it and did so with great excitement at the end.

“Now can we go to “the Park!”?” Sure enough, they were glad that I had pushed them even though they had been a bit scared. They were ready for the park. In the end, I almost couldn’t get them off the park when it was time to go. Just riding over the jumps, even though they couldn’t actually get any “air”, was pure joy to them.

Someone came from Jairus household and said, “too late, your daughter is dead, don’t bother the teacher any longer.” Jesus response was similar to my encouragement to my sons, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

Sure enough, Jesus arrived at the house and after throwing out the mocking mourners, Jesus raised the little girl from the dead.

The disciples did not have enough faith to keep their confidence during the storm on the lake. The people of Gerasene did not have enough faith to keep Jesus around after he delivered the region’s demonically possessed crazy man into pigs which drowned. The Capernaum region, with the synagogue ruler, Jairus, and the bleeding woman did have significant faith and wanted Jesus around.

Nazareth, of course provides our final glimpse of the importance of faith.

After raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, Jesus and his disciples went back to his hometown. The reception that they received there was decidedly complacent and ambiguous. After preaching in the synagogue many local Nazarenes took offense at Jesus. He was unable to do many miracles there either.

It was their lack of faith that was the problem. As a result, Jesus was a “prophet without honor in his hometown.”

Conclusion:
At the beginning of this section Jesus rebuked his disciples, “Do you still not have faith?” Many places that Jesus went were filled with people who did not have faith, including his hometown. Many other places were filled with people that did have faith and he was able to do many miracles and teach extensively.

Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Jesus asked (Luke 18:8), “when the Son of Man returns will he find faith on the earth?” This question of the role of faith in our lives is very important. Romans 10:17 says that, “faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did…”

The ultimate question remains, will we trust God or not? Will we trust Christ or not? Will we allow his message to sink down into our hearts and bear fruit or will we hang on to doubt and refuse to open our hearts?

As we got into the car to head home at the end of the day of skiing, Jonathan began to wonder how quickly he could grow to be sixteen so that he could get his license and go skiing all the time. Christopher began to wonder how he could save money to get some skiis of his own.

The wonder of skiing and all of the fears and doubts were wrapped up in a bundle of memories with a bow of fun, fun, fun on the top. The memory of Dad pushing them to go where they weren’t sure they wanted to go was lost with the joy of having conquered fears and looking forward to the chance to do so again.

Jesus is the center of all questions about faith. Will we trust God’s salvation in Christ? Will we trust Christ’s invitation to follow him wherever He leads?

If the answer is yes, then we should get ready for things to get exciting and even scary. If the answer is no, then we should stop grumbling about how bad things are in our lives. The only way out of the bad situations is faith in Christ. Rest assured that faith will be tested; through storms, rejection, demonic people, sickness and even death.

Nevertheless, Christ never fails that test of faith.