Let the Shepherd Lead

Originally Proclaimed: 02/10/19

Intro:

• In the Smithsonian Magazine I found this interesting story. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/curious-george-daring-escape-nazis-180960779/
• Hans Reyersbach and his wife Margarete Waldstein were Jewish artists from Hamburg who met in Rio de Janerio.
  • Hans moved their after World War I, selling plumbing fixtures, sketching and painting.
  • Margarete moved a decade later as a photographer, specifically because of the rise of Nazism
  • They were married in Rio in 1935 and honeymooned in Paris.
  • The honeymoon was so stirring that they moved to the city.
• In May 1940 Adolph Hitler sent millions of troops into France, who eventually captured the city on June 14.
  • The couple who had been living in Paris for four years quickly realized they were in a desperate situation and had to leave the city.
  • They feared what would happen to them as Jews and expatriate Germans if they were still in Paris when the Nazi’s arrived.
  • But the couple had faith that there would be a way out and a better life away from Nazi control.
    • No transportation was available to Hans bought every bicycle part he could find and constructed two bikes from scratch.
    • On June 12 they started their journey out of Paris and the hands of the Nazi army.
    • They carried little with them except for a notebook manuscript of a children’s book they had been working on using their artistic skills.  They had faith that the work they had been doing mattered.
  • On the first day they rode their bikes 30 miles to the town of Etampes, hearing the Nazi shelling in the background.
    • The second day they rode another twenty miles to a small town Acquebouille, stealing a night’s sleep in a barn.
    • The final day they made it to Orleans where they caught a train to Lisbon.
    • For months they waited and watched the news, fearing still the ever expanding reach of Fascism. They knew they had to leave Europe.
    • They finally were able to cross the Atlantic, first to Brazil and then for New York City.
  • When they arrived the couple had next to nothing except. But they had faith in the better life they would experience in America.
    • They continued working on their book and Hans, collecting their drafts into the notebook that they brought with them from Paris.
    • They showed a friend named Grace Hogarth, who was an editor at Houghton Mifflin,  their notebook.
    • She recognized the bravery and optimism  of the couple’s story and their children’s book.
    • “It took courage to print and publish colorful books in a gray wartime world,” she later recalled.
    • As they were signed to a four year book contract they chose the pen names H.A. and Margaret Rey.
    • The couple’s faith in a better life free from the fears of persecution had been rewarded.
    • “‘Fifi,’ their primate protagonist, was renamed ‘George.’”
  • The article closes in this way ” So far 75 million copies of the Curious George books have been sold worldwide in over a dozen languages. But the monkey who escaped the Nazis in a bicycle basket never had a closer call than his very first.”

Hook:

• Friends in that account it was the faith of this couple in a better life that drove out the fears of escaping from a murderous regime, of immigrating to a new country, and of not being able to make a living by writing and illustrating children’s books.
• The Rey’s never described their faith in a religious way.
  • But it was their faith that drove out every fear and produced a new life for that family and a children’s book series that had a lasting impact.
  • And their faith is one that agrees with what we as Christians believe. They had faith that there could be a better life, and as Christians we certainly believe there is a better life for us now and eternally.
• But this leads us to an important question. What sets our Christian faith apart from all others?
• Friends, the Bible teaches us that the faith that drives out fear trusts that God wants to express His personal, transformative love to us.
  • 1 John 4:18 says, “there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
  • By this verse we can see that fear is doubting God’s desire to demonstrate his love to us rather than punishment.
  • Faith in God’s desire to demonstrate His love transforms us.
• As we turn to the Scriptures today my hope today is to expound on the Bible’s answer to that question as we examine the four scenes in Mark 4:35-:43.

Message Points:

• As we turn to today’s passage, the word for fear in its various forms serves as a guide for us through this passage.
  • Fear shows up four times in this passage.
  • Jesus drives out fears in each of those four occurrences.
• We must remember that chapter four begins by telling us that Jesus was teaching by the lake from one of his disciple’s fishing boats.
  • In his teaching He has been challenging His disciples to follow Him more closely.
  • His challenge asked them to believe that God can transform their lives into fruitful, productive lives for His kingdom.
• As the evening comes in verse 4:35 he asks the disciples to go to the other side of the lake.
  • Jesus’ ministry primarily focused on the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee.
  • The other side of the lake had been settled by the Romans into a region called the Decapolis, consisting of ten major towns and a number of Gentile villages.
  • While it would be uncommon for Jews to associate with Gentiles in the region, perhaps the disciples simply thought that Jesus wanted them to get away from the crowds for a brief respite.
  • This assumption seems to be supported by verse 4:36 which says they leave the crowds behind, and begin taking Jesus across, “just as he was, in the boat”. The indication here is that they did not even bother trying to go ashore for supplies or anything else.
  • The boat they was a fishing boat, like the one discovered at Ginasoar in 1986 from the 1st Century.
    • It was  8.2 meters long by 2.35 meters wide. It was only 1.25 meters deep. The capacity was no more than 13 people.
    • A meter is roughly the distance of an average male’s stride.
    • Imagine being in a boat that’s depth was no more than an extremely long stride, or that third or fourth step to the platform.
    • And then imagine a tremendous storm that arises  and waves begin crashing into the boat and filling it.
    • None of us should deny that this is a dire circumstance.
  • Mark’s gospel is strikingly vivid in what it relates next.
    • Jesus was asleep during this storm in verse 4:38, and the disciples come to him for help.
    • But do not mistake their plea for help for Christian faith. Look at what they say. They accuse Jesus of not caring if they drown.
    • Jesus’ response is equally as vivid. Unlike the other gospels where  his question is recorded first, Mark records Jesus’ rebuke of the storm first. The language is so forceful that we could choose to translate his words as “SHUT UP!”
    • Then verse 40 records Jesus’ probing question “Why are you so afraid, Do you still have no faith?”
• That leads us to consider the 1st type of fear that faith drives out. Faith drives out fear of circumstances (4:35-41)
  • Go back for a minute and consider the way the disciples approach Jesus for help.
    • They do not come and say, Jesus we know you care about us. Please quiet this storm.
    • Their request is a question that casts doubt on Jesus’ love for them and desire to protect them.
    • The circumstance of the storm, even for the experience fisherman from the Galilee, overshadowed any evidence they had already seen of Jesus’ power over all circumstances or his love for people.
  • Look as well at the way the disciples respond to the new circumstance of Jesus’ immense power and authority.
    • The fisherman among the disciples had seen sudden storms and their sudden dissipation, but Jesus’ rebuke was nothing like that.
    • While they may have feared the storm, the NIV translates their response in verse 41 as terror.
    • They ask “who is this?” and state with terror,  “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
  • But Jesus’ question should still burn in our hearts as it did in theirs.
    • “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
    • Do you come to Christ accusing him of not caring about you because of your circumstances?
    • Or do you come to Christ confessing your belief that he alone can bring good out of your circumstances.
  • Fear and faith simply cannot co-exist. Either we will speak and react out of fear or we will speak and react out of faith.
    • Consider the scenario of a high school senior.
      • A high school senior with decent grades and decent scores  fears that he or she does not have the grades or the scores to get into college. They respond by scrambling around in the limited time they have. That person may take the SATs again. He or she might seek to obtain glowing letters of recommendation. He or she might make college visits and try to establish relationships that help their chances. That person might look for a reputable community college that allows them to earn credit under academic probation until they demonstrate their ability. That person might look for a job that will offer on-the-job training for advancement. Amid this senior’s circumstances, he or she w calls out to God and ask if God really cares.
      • Another high school senior with decent grades and decent scores has faith that God will make sure they get into the right college. They begin the search by asking God to direct them and use his power to help them to find the right path for their future. This person might take the SATs again or seek the glowing letters of recommendation. He or she might go on college visits and discuss such things as pathways to earn credit or transfer in from another institution. This person may also look for the job that will allow them to train and advance. Amid this senior’s circumstances, he or she sees God powerfully answer their prayers as every circumstance falls into place.
  • The recognition that we serve an all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal God cannot escape our minds.
    • However our faith teaches us that God personally loves us and wants to do us good. God wants to use his mighty power to transform our lives for the good.
    • Commentator R.T. France says that Psalm 107:28-31 surely must have been on Peter and Mark’s mind as they recorded this account.
    •  The psalm says, “then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”
    • Notice the psalm does not say that when we have troubling circumstances that we do not bring them to God in Christ.
    • No it tells us that we bring them to him in faith, believing that he loves us and through his power will do something good for us. We then can respond with thanks for his unfailing love.
• The next scene in our passage deals with the healing of a demoniac. We do not have time to dwell on many of the details but notice a few things with me in chapter 5.
  • They are in the region of the Gerasenes accoding to 5:1. While there is debate about which town/region is actually being referenced here (Gadara, Gerasa, or Gegersa) we can be sure this is a region of the Gentiles.
  • The demoniac has been cast out, attempted to be bound, and tormented  enough to cut himself. His physical strength is so great “no one was strong enough to subdue him.” (5:2-5)
    • Just for a moment lets consider demon possession today. In the OT and the period of Jesus’ life, the Holy Spirit did not rest on individuals for very long, but came empowered and helped them to accomplish God’s will.
    • After the resurrection of Jesus the Holy Spirit
  • The Legion of demons possessing him were so afraid of Jesus that they begged not to be tormented as they had tormented the man. (5:6-10)
  • Jesus permitted them to be cast into the herd of pigs, which promptly led to their drowning.
  • The pig farmers went to town and told what happened, and rather that responding with joy that this man had been freed they were now afraid. They asked in verse 17 for Jesus to leave their region.
  • Which leads us to the final part of these scene with the former demoniac coming and asking to go with Jesus.
    • But Jesus did not let him, commissioning him instead as a missionary to his people.
    • He asked him in verse 19 to “tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.”
    • This stands in stark contrast to Jesus’ commands on the other side of the lake to keep his miracles quiet so as to not attract the oppressive crowds.
    • And verse 20 recounts to us how the former demoniac slowly but steadily told people in the Decapolis how Jesus had transformed his life so that they were amazed.
• This lead us to consider the 2nd way faith drives our fear: Faith drives out fears during change (5:1-20).
  • No one likes change.
    • Even those who may say they like change only like change that they can control.
    • But we all know that change is constant.
  • In this scene we see two responses to change.
    • The herdsmen react in fear, demanding that the change agent leave.
    • The transformed demoniac responds in faith, choosing to slowly but surely prove the difference that Christ makes.
  • Consider two kinds of parents.
    • One set of parents does not want their children to grow up and forget them, so they do everything they can to shelter their children from outside friends. They deal with change by creating oppressive rules and demands that forbid certain activities. They keep their children from the world and all sorts of experiences. Eventually they willingly allow their grown children to live with them at their house, but the children and parents’ relationship is strained and cold.
    • Another set of parents realizes that their children will grow up and change, but has faith that God can keep their family together. They help their children consider which friends are the best types of friends. As change happens they try to talk with their children and help them to think about what would please God. They take their children into the world and talk with them about all that they see both good and bad from a Christian perspective. These parents gladly launch their children into life, but make sure that they know they always have a mom and dad who will love them and help them to do what God wants for their lives.
  • Change will happen friends, and we can be afraid of it and shut ourselves off to the truth and to God’s help or be can by faith address every change with the belief that God can bring good out of change.
• We now turn to the next scene which has two major parts.
  • The scene begins with Jesus back across the lake, responding to the request of Jairus the a leader of the synagogue to heal his daughter.
  • In the midst of him travelling to do this healing Jesus is touched by a woman with an issue of blood.
  • This issue would have made her unclean for the twelve years of her suffering.
  • Perhaps the most interesting statement comes in verse 26 which says “she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had.”
    • At best this is malpractice from the doctors and at worst this is abuse.
    • These doctors in a position of power, take advantage of this woman’s situation, promising her help, if she only will give them everything that she had.
    • Such exploitation of another human being is rightly called abuse.
  • But this woman had enough faith in Jesus that she said, “if I can just touch the hem of his clothes I will be healed” and she was, immediately freed from her suffering.
  • Jesus began asking who had touched him and this woman’s history of abuse from these doctors had her come “trembling with fear” to Jesus’ feet.
    • As she told him the truth , He blesses her instead of further exploiting her. He tells her that her faith has healed her and that she may go in peace, free from suffering.
    • Jesus had asked who had touched him, not to make further unreasonable demands, but to bless the one who had faith in Him.
• That leads us to the third way that faith drives our fears: Faith drives out fears from abuse (5:21-34)
  • Leslie Vernick a Christian counselor in her book, The Emotionally Destructive Relationship makes the case that abusive relationships are those in which words or actions have beaten us down, made us feel broken, helpless, unlovely or unloveable. (Vernick, 16)
    • Her book makes the point that any of us who have suffered abuse must realize that we do not have to submit to abusive behavior, and we do not have to continue to expect abusive behavior.
    • In Christ abuse does not have to be our future; rather we can in him live a life free from abuse.
• Our final point comes as we examine the final verses in this chapter.
  • Here we see Jairus’ servants come to deliver news of his daughter’s death.
  • But Jesus interrupts to warn him against fear and encourage him to have faith.
  • The loss of death casts doubt on every part of our life.
    • We begin to doubt and fear that we will ever see our loved one again.
    • We begin to doubt and fear that any of this human existance matters.
    • We begin to doubt and fear that the material world has anything good in it.
• This leads us to the 4th way that faith drives out fears: Faith drives out fear about loss (5:35-43)
  • Jairus’ fears were put aside as he continued to believe Jesus and permit him not only to come to the house, but to see his dead daughter.
  • Jesus spoke to those in the home, commanding them to stop mourning since the girl was asleep.
  • He said that because to raise from the dead for Jesus was not more difficult that rousing someone from a nap.
  • Having faith in a Savior like this drives our our fear of loss, because what can truly be lost to Him.
  • Jesus then raises up Jairus’ daughter to the amazement of all.
  • Friends whatever loss we may have experienced, Jesus can restore to us far more than we had ever lost.

Conclusion:

• Maybe you have fears that rise out of circumstances,  change, abuse or loss.
• If you would just turn to Jesus, He will raise you out of your circumstances, and free you from all your suffering.
• He alone can give you new life, without fear.