Who cares about your troubles?

The Bible is full of questions. Perhaps the strangest question is found in the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41: "Lord, don't you care?"

Jesus had been teaching around the shores of Galillee. From the plains one could look across the blue-green waters and see the majestic mountains on the far side. It had been a long, hard day. Now, late in the afternoon, the disciples pulled their boat in close to the shore and Jesus climbed aboard. Jesus waved farewell to the crowd, lay down in the stern of the boat and was soon fast asleep.

They had done this many times before. The wind was up. They hoisted the sails. Then, without warning, dark clouds scurried across the sky. The wind blew with destructive force and waves began to leap over the side of the boat! And those veteran fishermen, who had sailed these waters all their lives, were afraid. They rushed to waken Jesus with this urgent question: "Lord, we're about to sink! Don't you care?"

What a question! One would think that by now these men would know that Jesus cares about what happens to them. Their question, of course, was prompted by their fear. Fear clouded their minds and souls, clouded their ability to act.

Fear is the enemy of faith! This question pointed up their self-centeredness. The disciples showed no concern for Jesus, who was in the same boat. They were only concerned about themselves. When it comes to our survival, we show our true selves, our concern for No. 1. Finally, this question revealed how shaky their faith was. The disciples had been with Jesus for several years. They had experienced his great power! Yet they had doubts that Jesus could, or would, save them from the storm. Who cared?

Jesus stirred, rubbed his eyes, and woke up to see the threatening storm.

Jesus also saw the storm clouds of fear and doubt hanging over the disciples. Jesus, in turn, asked them a question: "Why are you afraid?"

Then Jesus got up, calmly spoke to the wind and the waves; and the clouds no longer threatened and the waves lay at peace. Who cared? Jesus cared!

A friend of mine had high hopes of getting a good-paying job, marrying a nice woman and raising a family, buying that dream house. My friend wanted everything in life to go well; he wanted to escape the storms of life. He couldn't. He lost his job. His marriage ended in divorce. He had to mortgage his house. In anger, he cried out to God: "Lord, don't you care what happens to me?" Who cares?

Of course God cares! In the midst of the storms, God is with us. In the midst of world crises, God is with us. Amidst the turmoil of personal problems, God is there with us. We might well lose everything, but God is able to provide us with all we need. We will experience hurt; God will bind up our wounds and heal us. We will face rejection and disappointment; God will comfort us and give us hope. Who cares? God cares! What more do we need?

The Rev. Dr. Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist minister who lives in Jackson.