“Jesus is in the Boat!”
The Sermon Notes of Father S. Peter Donatelli
(All Biblical quotes from the New King James Version)
JOKE:
What do a tornado and a redneck divorce have in common? In the end, someone is going to lose a trailer.
INTRO:
I was watching the news the other day and there were some tornado chasers on that were following a tornado. What was interesting is that they were actually going towards the tornado. So I went to you tube and saw June 17th viewing of a tornado near Aurora, Nebraska. Amazingly people posted videos of what they saw as they got closer and closer. I probably would have done the same. I am fascinated with natural disasters. I must say that during hurricane Gloria I was outside looking into the sky with appeal and awe. The only thing that really bothers me is snow storms that pile feet of snow on my house causing me to be stranded and claustrophobic. I do not like being in a position where I lose electricity in sub zero weather or not being quickly available to a hospital or major roadway. Forget about me, though, everybody including all you have some fear of some natural adversity. In all our lives journey’s we have all encountered trials and tribulations that have caused us anxiety and fear and stress. It may not be natural disasters; though this morning’s Gospel has an impressive scare as the disciples are freaking out over the possibility of a storm wrecking their boat and causing them all to drown. I hate boats so I can relate. This morning I hope to ease your stresses with one small reminder about life’s journey and I hope that you can walk away from this Mass with some blessed assurance knowing that Jesus is in your boat and you need not be afraid of anything. There are three points I would like to make that hopefully will allow you to sleep easy tonight.
POINT ONE:
Don’t spend too much time questioning God’s providence because no matter what plan you may have for your life, God has a better one. When I was in Italy I had the pleasure of going to the top of the mountain my father grew up on. Though it was impressive and bigger than any mountain in Maine, I was certainly not the biggest mountain in the world and yet the earth could contain it. The earth is very impressive and yet it is not the biggest planet in the universe, yet the universe can contain it. The point I am trying to make is that God is bigger than that! God made everything in the most perfect way that resulted in the beautiful grandeur of our world that resulted in the beautiful grandeur that makes us alive today. Finally this life we live is a direct result of God intervening in your life in such a personal, such a positive way that you are here this morning and you are worshipping the certainty that God is completely in control, that God loves you, and that God is looking forward to spending eternal life with you in Heaven. Job had experienced some tough times and though justifiably, Job questioned God’s perfect plan for him. God speaks back in a great diatribe of sarcasm that makes even Father Peter proud of his gift of sarcasm. Job 381 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 ”Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 ” Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 ”Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
Recently I went on the Godandscience.org web site and though I did not have the time to read completely through it I did read enough to understand that God is God and I am not. If there had been so much as one degree difference on the earth’s rotation we would not have been here today. The design of the universe is so perfect that it can only be explained by a cosmic Architect so wise and awesome He did everything right. The conclusion is that even today this design is in effect and you are a great and wonderful part of that design. As the Psalmist says; Psalm 139:13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
POINT TWO:
The plan and the design God has for you can never be explained in selfish, self-fulfilling, or self-serving reasons. When one asks a secular humanist why Jesus died, he or she blabs about He angered the Jewish authorities or about Roman legal practices but these responses can never describe the impact on the whole Body of Christ that comprises of billions and billions of people not to mention billions of billions of angels and any other life forces in God’s astounding universe. Inasmuch as we believe this can we ultimately fulfill our lives with joy and thanksgiving and praise. It’s like the sermon several weeks ago when Scripture gave us the metaphors of a refiner’s fire or a potter. Gold can only be completely purified when all the dross is removed and that is best seen by the refiner when his image is perfectly mirrored in the gold. Eventually as we remove all the dross from our selfish, self-fulfilling, or self-serving sinfulness and allow God to see Himself in all that we do, all that we give, and all that we are. Jesus was praying in the garden and when he passed His final temptation to have the cup passed away and to allow God’s will to be done, the sacrifice began. You see that power of sacrifice, selflessness, and self-improvement can only end in perfection. Jesus emulated this for us so that we can end up with Him, for Him, and in Him. As St. Paul said this morning, 2 Corinthians 5: 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
I don’t know about you but as I walk around the neighborhood that was founded by Christians several generations ago in Portland, Maine and see the egocentrism that permeates the streets I was so proudly part of. Italian, Polish, Irish, German, French, and other Christians came to Munjoy Hill and built business and communities and friendships that gave Portland the economic and philanthropic prosperity that we are slowly losing today. Glimpses of these peoples can be seen in the successful and community-minded business like ours that maintain. I can only hope and pray for things to become anew through the love of Jesus that compels us. We need Jesus! Our country needs Jesus. Our children and the future of America need Jesus.
POINT THREE:
Regardless of the hopeless and desperate events that seem to be prevalent in our world today the Good News is that Jesus is in the boat! Don’t get me wrong the disciples could touch Him and yet still be in a state of frenzy and fear. Mark 4: 35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
I wish that I can tell you that everything will be fine. I wish I can tell you that everything you want in life will be yours. But I know that our perception of what we want and what we consider desirous can be skewed by worldly images that pervert our eyes into thinking that life is painless, fearless, and carefree. The world perverts our eyes with images of riches and material goods that seem cool and fun. However, allow me to paint Heavenly images where there is nothing but love and goodness and celebration. Giving up the world for God only immerse you into a Body that is overly generous, overly plentiful, and overly loving. Friends, Jesus is in the boat and we are recipients of a caring Shepherd that will never let anything happen to our eternal life with Him.
CONCLUSION:
It’s OK to have some anxiety in life. We can be afraid at times. It is ridiculous to think that we will walk out of here and not have a negative surprise that will occur over the next few hours. Heck I will freak out if a big bug lands on me. However, let me give you some encouragement that God is in control and His plan is perfect and on. Nothing will derail God’s ultimate design and as long as we accept this, we are part of this great strategy. I love being on winning teams. Our coach, our guide, our teacher, and our Creator is with is every step of the way. May we simply embrace these facts by living out our lives in joyful obedience with the hope that someday we will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior, our Father and Creator, and our most Holy Spirit who endows us with every good gift we have, in the Kingdom with the angels and Saints for all eternity. Amen!
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