Proverbs 30:4-5
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 24 June 2018
Rev. John Derme
They were tough men. They were physically strong, and they were also mentally strong. They were good at problem solving, and used to getting themselves out of dangerous situations. This was particularly true of storms on the Sea of Galilee. Several of them were professional fishermen, and they knew this lake well. They had seen many storms there, and they knew exactly what to do.
That is, until a certain storm came up, when the twelve of them were crossing the lake and Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. This storm must have been extreme, because there was nothing that they could do to save themselves from it. They were scared, and they thought they were about to die. The wind was howling. The waves were rising over the sides of the boat and filling it with water. Their small fishing vessel was rocking. There they saw clearly that they were not in control of the situation. Who commands the wind and the waves?
The human race didn't need to wait until that day to learn the answer to that question. As amazing as it was for those men to see Jesus answer it from the boat on the Sea of Galilee, the answer should already have been clear to them. The question was asked, and the answer is clear in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, and we heard it in our First Lesson today.
Most of the Proverbs were written by King Solomon, who is famous as the wisest person who ever lived. But a couple of chapters of the book of Proverbs were written by other men. A man named Agur wrote chapter 30. We don't actually know anything about Agur, except for what we learn from the proverbs he wrote. There we see that he was a repentant believer and a skilled preacher of God's Word.
In his proverbs, Agur asks us some rhetorical questions: "Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!"
It may be clear enough to you already what the answers to those questions are. But it should also be clear enough what the answers are not. It's not you! And it's not me, either. We haven't gone up to heaven and come back down. I can't hold the wind in my hands. You can't hold on to the waters. None of us could have created this world.
Yet sometimes we think we can. After all, you are a tough person, aren't you? You are physically and mentally strong. So you try to stay on top of everything. You can't trust anybody else to take care of things for you. They have let you down in the past. So you'll just have to handle everything yourself.
You can think this way for a while. And you may even get away with it for a long time. But eventually the wind will start blowing harder and the waves will rise higher. And no matter how good of a fisherman you think you are, it will be more than you can control.
Okay, I'm not aware that any of you are professional fishermen. But you do need to earn money to pay your expenses some way. And you've worked hard, so you are able to stay on top of your finances. Until something happens that you can't pay for, like a medical emergency or some other unforeseen circumstance that is beyond your control. There isn't much that scares people like money troubles.
You may not all be professional fishermen, but you are all fathers and mothers and sons and daughters. You have worked hard to take care of your family and be a blessing to those you love. But what will you do when you start having problems in your family? Not much scares people like troubles with those that they care about. No matter how well you have done in taking care of yourself and others, eventually something will happen that you cannot control. If you trust in yourself to handle all your troubles, they will overwhelm you, and you will fail.
Who commands the wind and waves? It's not you. It's not me, either. So, who does? What is his name? The Lord. What is the name of his Son? Jesus Christ. Just as he commanded the wind and waves from the boat on the Sea of Galilee, he commands the troubles that would overwhelm you. Agur said it: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." God your Father and Jesus your Savior shield and protect you.
The Lord is the creator of the earth, and he controls his creation. Jesus is the one who came down from heaven, and he displayed his command of the wind and waves. But he didn't just come to display his power from the boat on the Sea. He came to shield and protect you on the cross. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay for all of your sins – even for the times when you have thought that you were the one in control. He saved you from hell and has earned a place in heaven for you.
You aren't the one who controls everything, and that's okay! Someone who is far more qualified to handle your troubles commands them! The one who has always been protecting you shields you from them. Do not trust in yourself. Trust in him. Trust that everything he allows to happen to you he is using for your good. Trust that he will continue to keep evil from overwhelming you. Trust that he will keep you safe throughout your life here on earth. Trust that he will bring you safely to his home in heaven. Trust your God. He commands the wind and waves.