Mark: The Great Storm

1. Additional Scriptural readings suggested: Matthew 10:5-15

2. A short reading:

"Only God is, only God knows, only God can do anything. This is the truth, and with the help of my faith I discover this more deeply every day." (Carlo Carretto, Letters from the Desert, 21)

3. Text for meditation (in Italics): This week we will consider two accounts that have the same theme: a great crisis, a great Christ, and a great calm. Today's account is a nature miracle. On Thursday we will study a deliverance miracle.

^4:36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷ A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"

4. Reflections: Jesus had spent the day teaching the crowds that came to see Him. Using parables, a favorite way the Jews had of teaching lessons about life, He spoke of the kingdom of God. The people lined the shore and were so thickly bunched that the Lord had to speak to them from a boat (Mark 4:1). This probably happened near Capernaum. "When evening had come" the Lord said, "Let us go to the other side [of the lake]." So, "as he was" (in the boat), His men put out to sea. Mark says that "other boats were with [Jesus]." I don't want to make more of this statement than the text makes of it, but this means that other boats of people were with Jesus and His disciples when a sailor's worst nightmare happened.

"A fierce wind" bore down on the small crafts. The sea became so violent that even seasoned fishermen feared for their lives. The word Mark uses to speak of the storm could also be used to describe a hurricane. Everything seemed out of control and huge waves threatened to swamp the boat. Then we read a most unlikely line: "[Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on a cushion." Unimaginable! One ancient author comments that the humanity of God was asleep but the divinity of God was wide awake." The frightened disciples woke Jesus up and rebuked Him in no uncertain terms. They were scared to death! "Lord, we are about to die and apparently You don't care!" I am sure they expected Jesus to die with them because they give no sign that they hope He would do something. They lashed out at the Lord, and we do the same thing at times. "Don't you care?" we say to God ... but the divinity of God is wide awake all the time. Origen of Alexandria (3rd century AD) sees a lesson in this storm for us. The "ship of faith" [the church] is sailing with the Lord over the rough seas of this storm-tossed life. The Lord may seem to be asleep, unconcerned about our plight, but, Origen says, Jesus is watching our "patience and endurance." If we had real faith, we would know that where Jesus is, there is deliverance from the death that is eternal. Mark's account shows the authority of Jesus over nature; we also see that He is well aware of what troubles and threatens us. The disciples will learn that it is better to follow Him than to rebuke Him. The Lord wants faith because faith overcomes the fear death brings.

5. Questions raised today for personal reflection:

Did God cause that storm on the Sea of Galilee? It was popular then--as it is now--to assume that when bad things happen to us God is punishing us. I cannot say whether or not God caused that storm, or the ice storm we just passed through. I can say it did not happen without His knowledge and permission, though maybe not of His doing. One thing for sure, the Scriptures are clear that God is sovereign and in control. Life is terribly rough at times, and seemingly terribly unfair. But the chaos in our lives is very often of our own doing. One of the things we learn is to be patient and to trust God to take us through the bad times. He lets us know what He wants us to know.

Miracles alone do not produce saving faith, do they? We have read of many miracles already in Mark's Gospel, but none of them are fully able to disclose the necessity of having faith in Jesus as Savior. Is it possible that even a miracle is limited? Is the greatness of God so great that nothing we see can sound His depths? Apparently so. Even the miraculous acts of Jesus point beyond themselves, to a great knowledge, to a deeper truth. We do not mediate on the miracle; we meditate on the Miracle-Maker.

6. Suggestions for prayer: We would do well to pray that our confidence in God will transcend our fear of death. We also need insight so we can read what happens in life correctly. We need grace to see into the depths of God's holiness and goodness. We can pray for a miracle in someone's life, like a miracle of healing. The greatest miracle, however, is when we learn to rest in God and lovingly put our future in His hands. Remember Carretto above: "Only God is ... only God can do anything."