“If God closes a door, He can open a window,” Richard said. And then Branden raised his hand at youth group, “And if the window’s closed, there’s always the chimney.”
I’m not sure if he was just trying to be funny, but he hit a theological home run.
The conclusion of Mark 4 illustrates the door-window-chimney concept. We find Jesus wrapping up a day of preaching from a boat just off the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He gives the command to His disciples: “Let us go over to the other side."
And then “There arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.” Jesus was back at the stern sleeping.
They awoke Him. And a door of opportunity opened for Jesus to rescue the day. Jesus could have grabbed the rudder and muscled the boat into the optimal position for stabilizing the boat. A heroic show of physical might.
Nope.
Well how about the window of mental enlightenment. “O.K. men let’s think this one through quickly. We can figure out a rescue plan.”
Nope.
Here’s the Jesus method: “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”
Do you think anyone in the boat said, “You know what, that’s exactly what I thought He would do.”?
I’ve been through my share of storms and challenges during my twelve years as a follower of Jesus. Repeatedly, when the big ones blew in, ones capable of crushing me, the rescue plan was off my radar.
I can relate the Disciple’s response: “They were in absolute awe, staggered. ‘Who is this, anyway?’ "
This is Jesus. Expect the unexpected.
