King Canute and the Order of the Universe: A Sermon from Kramer Chapel
Preached at Kramer Chapel, CTS, Fort Wayne, IN
June 26, 2024
Text: Job 38:1–11; St. Mark 4:35–41
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
King Canute, who ruled England in the early 11 th century, is most famous, and often mocked, for his attempt to command the sea. But few actually remember the pious point he made.
“He ordered a seat to be placed for him on the sea-shore when the tide was coming in; thus seated, he shouted to the flowing sea, ‘Thou, too, art subject to my command, as the land on which I am seated is mine; and no one has ever resisted my commands with impunity. I command you, then, not to flow over my land, nor presume to wet the feet and the robe of your lord.’ The tide, however, continuing to rise as usual, dashed over his feet and legs without respect to his royal person. Then the King leapt backwards, saying: ‘Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.’ From thenceforth King Canute never wore his crown of gold, but placed it for a lasting memorial on the image of Our Lord affixed to a cross, to the honour of God the almighty King.” *
Here is the truth perceived by Canute and manifested by Jesus on the Sea of Galilee: there is a King and His laws still stand. There is order in this world. Tides come in and go out as usual. Storms rage and storms cease. And none of this is accidental. It’s all carried out by the decrees of the Lord.
Yet, almost everything you hear and watch and read is telling you: this world is chaos. Life is random. It’s all disaster and confusion. And if there is any truth, how can you possibly know it? So, either you give yourself up to the storm, and let your passions carry you away like waves until they drown you. Or you put your trust in the people who claim to have the answers for providing stability and safety and strength.
But both options are accepting the inevitability of chaos. And that’s the lie. This world is not chaos. Nothing is random. This world is a harmony. There is order (dare we say, hierarchy) and by that we mean there is design. I’m not talking about a system of power. The One who orders the cosmos is like a master craftsman creating a cathedral’s rose window, putting each brilliant piece in its proper place. By His Word, our true King directs all things for the good of His creation, and especially for the good of those who love Him.
So, apart from Jesus, the forces of nature go wild, both in the world and in yourself. Storms in nature are always images of the stormy passions raging in the human soul. Because all chaos comes from our sin and death. Our disobedience causes the disorder in our soul, and the breakdown of society, and the groaning of all creation. It’s all connected. Nature simply reflects and magnifies the disorder and destruction we bring upon ourselves.
The sea especially is always a picture of spiritual chaos. Read Job and the Psalms and you’ll see how the Lord is depicted defeating the powers of darkness by also calming the storms: You divided the sea by Your might; You broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters… Psalm 74:13. The Lord stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples… Psalm 65.
He rebukes the sea and it obeys. He sets a limit to the chaos of sin and death and establishes peace. For He is the One who first set limits on the powers of creation. He challenged Job on this very point: “Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb… and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?
This is the same Lord, riding the storm with the disciples. He put His creation in order at the beginning, so of course He continues to maintain that order even now. The chaos of our sin cannot dethrone the King. It cannot overthrow His order and design.
In fact, He is even active in the chaos, moving it, controlling it for His own good purpose. Just as a storm attacked the disciples’ boat, it was a whirlwind that confronted Job with the presence of the Lord. Storms are a sign of creation groaning and coming apart, but even in and behind those storms, God’s order is still at work. In Psalm 107, those who go down to the sea in ships… saw the deeds of the Lord, His wondrous works in the deep. For He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea… Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
In all of this, the Lord of Creation is restoring order. He restores order in the external forces of nature and He restores order in the soul of man. It is telling that the command Jesus speaks to the raging sea is the same word that He speaks to the demon in Mark 1: “Be still. Be silent. Be muzzled.” He puts a muzzle the sea, shutting its howling, gaping maw. And He muzzles the demons, shutting their ugly, lying lips. What he does for the disciples drowning in the storm, He does for the man possessed by a demon. And He does the same for you, full of all your sins and worries and fears.
If we see disorder and chaos in the world, we must first look within our own hearts and minds. If we want to have order in our homes or in society, then we must first have order in our own souls. And Jesus is the only one who can do that for us. He muzzled all the forces of chaos by His death on the cross. He paid for our sin and silenced the devil and death. He went down into the depths and brought us out with Him.
You will face many storms, and you may get blown off course or even die for a little while, but you will never perish. There is a King and His laws still stand. There is order in this world. Tides come in and go out as usual. Storms rage and storms cease. And none of this is accidental. There is harmony in this world because by His Word, our true King directs all things for the good of His creation and especially for you, His children.
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
*Recorded by Henry of Huntingdon. From The Oxford Book of Royal Anecdotes. Edited by Elizabeth Longford. Oxford University Press, 1989. p.35–36.
The Reverend Anthony Dodgers is married to Betsy Dodgers and they have two boys, Nicholas and Arthur. He is the Associate Pastor, Headmaster, & Middle School Teacher at Bethlehem Lutheran Church & School in Ossian, Indiana.
