Pentecost 4

Pentecost 4 (Mark 4:35-41) Why are you afraid?

Fear is one of three consequences of separation.

Fear, self-will and pride are three ways a separated soul reacts to the world of cause and effect. Pride is the attitude that claims perfect knowledge of the world, other people and God. Pride creates rigid, inflexible and uncompromising ways of thinking.

Pride creates a demand that finds expression in self-will. Self-will is the will to power. It is grounded in the willful false belief in perfect knowledge. Only a soul in separation from God could make such a foolish assertion. Only a soul in separation from God would attempt to live from the place of demand. Only the soul in separation from God chooses to cultivate the individual will to power.

The voice of the will to power is: do it my way. Do it my way – or else.
It should be obvious that human beings cannot possibly have perfect knowledge. St. Paul states: now we know in part. We can only know in part. Only God can fully and completely and perfectly know.

Since no human being can actually have perfect knowledge, the assertion of the individual will to power through pride always leads to fear. The Bible records how this process manifests in human history and in the lives of individuals, families and nations.

The fear that Jesus addresses in this passage is the fear that is generated from the place of original separation from God.

There are two other fears human beings experience in the world as it is now. In this world, the world of duality and the world of cause and effect, there is also the fear of death and the fear of God.

The fear of death is the recognition of mortality. It is part of the instinct for self-preservation in the face of a threat. And, it is a distortion of the delight in life. As the emotional force behind self-preservation, this kind of fear has a value in the world as it is now. In its positive aspect it is the respect for our own limitations in the world of cause and effect.

None of us has perfect knowledge. None of us is all powerful. All of us are subject to natural law and spiritual law.

The recognition of and respect for natural law and spiritual law is helpful in understanding the third form of fear. That form is reverence. It is what the Biblical writers refer to as “the fear of the Lord.” As a concept it is almost absent in modern culture. It remains only as a negative pleasure in the term: irreverent. As respect is the proper response to the universal laws of cause and effect so reverence is the proper response to the real presence of God in the universe.

The fear the disciples experienced was a distortion of both respect for natural law and reverence for God. This fear was not a response but a reaction. A response is always grounded in faith, hope and love. A reaction is always grounded in fear, self-will and pride.

The disciples had chosen to follow Jesus. They had listened to his teaching in amazement. But they had not heard his words, believed his words, or accepted his words.

They had witnessed Jesus performing amazing miracles. They also missed the meaning in the miracles. They saw power. They were attracted to the power. They wanted Jesus to use his power to destroy their enemies and reward them and their friends.

They walked with Jesus, spoke with him, shared meals with him, camped out at night with him. They were so close to Jesus. And they were so far away from him. They still missed the reality that they were lost in separation. They still functioned from the assumptions of separation. They still assumed that right knowledge produced divine rewards. Those rewards involved the ability to impose their will on other people, nature and even God.

Most of the disciples were fisherman. They had witnessed many storms. They had experienced many storms. As with so many other religious people of their time, they interpreted the damage and loss of life from a storm as Divine wrath.

What was different about this storm was the presence of Jesus. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, the anointed of God. Anointed with power to reward his friends and punish his enemies. The storm challenged this belief. Suddenly, natural law intruded on their individual fantasy of knowledge and power. Suddenly, Jesus was not manipulating the law of cause and effect to protect them.

They feared. It was a fear rooted in the pride that led them to believe they were immune to natural law. It was a fear rooted in their own will to power that placed a demand on God to protect and prosper them in exchange for their choice to follow the Messiah.

Jesus identifies the root of their fear. He asks them: “ Have you still no faith?” Have you heard my words, observed my actions, enjoyed my friendship and still lack trust? Do you really think the world revolves around you? Do you really think our Heavenly Father will suspend the laws of cause and effect for your individual benefit? And, do you really think that in the world of duality, of pleasure and pain, of joy and sorrow, of life and death- that I am not with you always?

Jesus stilled the storm that day with a word: Peace. Shalom. Be still.
In an instant the storm ceased. The disciples were more than happy. They were more than impressed. They were in awe. They were amazed. What Jesus had done was unprecedented. For the moment, the disciples simply sat in his presence and wondered. Who is he?

It is a good question.

One honest question will lead to one universal truth. Jesus is the personal real presence of God.

Jesus did not wield divine power. He did not have perfect knowledge. He embodied steadfast holy unconditional love.

In his divine nature Jesus is the pattern of this universe of cause and effect. Jesus is the uncaused cause of natural law and spiritual law. Jesus does not exercise power to suspend natural law. He is the very source of natural law. All things have existence form and function through him. And he is the center and ground of all things.

Faith in Jesus sets us free from our own pride that we are the center of the universe. Faith in Jesus sets us free from our own self-will that demands God to suspend natural law to reward us with power and the ability to impose our will on other people, nature and even our own souls.

Jesus is that perfect love that sets us free to live by faith in hope that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Love sets us free from fear. Love transforms pride into respect and self-will into reverence.

We are not the center of the universe. Jesus is. And, Jesus invites us into a personal relationship with God through a forever friendship with him.

Why do you fear? Who or what do you fear? How has separation distorted your expectations of God, other people and natural law? How does your fear produce a non-negotiable uncompromising demand of God and other people?

Jesus invites you to name that fear. As you name the fear offer your mind and heart and will to Jesus to be transformed by the Real Presence of Divine love.
Jesus says: why are you afraid? Peace. Be still. Know that I am God your forever friend. I am with you always.