One of my all-time favorite events in the life of Jesus (perhaps my favorite all time event) is The Storm in Mark 4:35-41. It was the text for last Sunday’s message.
Jesus had been teaching the crowds from a boat along the shore. When evening approached, He told His disciples to go the other side of the lake. They set out and one of those Sea of Galilee storms arose. This storm was so violent it threatened to sink their boat. The disciples were bailing as fast as they could.
Where was Jesus? In the back of the boat sleeping on a cushion. Desperate, they wake him up with the question “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” [vs 38 HCSB]
Jesus never does answer that question. He gets up and tells the wind to “Quiet!” and the waves to “Be still!”. And they obey. The wind quiets immediately, and the sea becomes like glass. [vs 39 HCSB]
Ever felt like those disciples? Your boat (your life) is in the storm, and it seem you are about to be swamped. The heavens seem like brass, prayers go unanswered, all the while you are bailing as fast as you can against the rising flood.
Where is God? If He really loved you, would you be in this storm? If He really loved you, would He allow bad things to happen?
Two things to think about this morning. One, the disciples had done everything Jesus asked of them. They set out for the other side of the lake. They were in this mess precisely because they were obedient.
Two, in the storm Mark tells us the disciples were afraid. After the storm, the disciples were terrified! Why? Because Jesus was even more uncontrollable, more powerful than the forces of nature aimed at them. That’s both a terrifying and a comforting truth.
“They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” [vs 41 HCSB]
Who indeed!
