Mark: Jesus' Tremendous Power

1. Additional Scriptural readings suggested: Matthew 10: 16-26

2. A short reading:

"The believer is often in danger of aiming at and rejoicing in what one might call the more human virtues. Such virtues are boldness, joy, contempt for the world, zeal, self-sacrifice ... while the deeper and gentler, the more divine graces are scarcely thought of or valued. These virtues are those which Jesus first taught upon earth--because He brought them from heaven--those which are more distinctly connected with His cross and the death of self--poverty of spirit, meekness, humility, lowliness. Therefore, let us put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering." (Andrew Murray, missionary, Humility, 47-48)

3. Text for meditation (in Italics):

^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?" ³⁹ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

4. Reflections: What a tremendous verse this is! After being rebuked by His men, the Lord rebuked the storm. The word "rebuke" is equal to the word "scold." Do you remember that the Lord "rebuked" or "scolded" the unclean spirit in our first lesson (Mark 1:12)? Do you think that perhaps evil spirits drove the wind and waves of the storm? Some people do, pointing out that the word "sea" is sometimes used as a metaphor for death (as in Revelation 21:1). In the stilling of the storm did the disciples think Jesus was exercising authority over wicked spirits? I would not be surprised if they did. However, I think that just as God spoke the worlds into existence (in Genesis 1), now Jesus speaks a word to make the sea act as it did in Eden. Surely, in the first flush of creation, the seas were calm and beautiful, inviting, not threatening. Can you and I, as creations of God, expect Jesus to speak a word that will calm the restlessness of our souls?

Jesus said to the wind, "Peace! Be still!" The command to be still literally means to "be muzzled." These words are imperatives, which means the wind and sea did as they were told. Did the Lord actually have to speak to get nature to obey? No, but He must have spoken so His disciples could see for themselves something of His power. The result was instantaneous, Mark says. This rattled the disciples. According to Job 26:11-12 and Psalm 104:7, only God can command the seas. There is no way the disciples could not help but be stricken with what they saw. Only a moment before they were in danger of drowning--now they are saved! There was a great calm. Things went from "the perfect storm" to smooth and quiet in a matter of moments.

We know the Jews often greeted one another with the word "Shalom" (peace). Peace is a wonderful thing to want for someone else. I think this is what Jesus means when He tells us to love our enemies; that we should work for their peace, even if they don't work for ours. That is love, to want for others what we want for ourselves, even when they don't want the same for us. When we do this, we behave as God does. Normally peace means two things: (1) to stop making war or (2) to be quiet or calm. I suppose these two working definitions feed off each other. How wonderful it would be to live in a world where peace reigned without a rival. Yet the desire for power and violence are all too common. As seekers after God, we need to hear Jesus speak words of peace to us and then live in His peace in our chaotic world.

5. Questions raised today for personal reflection:

Should we let people walk all over us? I cannot say what Jesus would have you do but I do know He wants us to go the "second mile," to bear the extra burden, and to work for our enemy's good. At the very least, we can pray good prayers for others, even enemies. Think about this: what would be a "good prayer" for terrorists? I had an ex-Marine in my class at Asbury once who said he "would not be a wimp for Jesus." I told him to be careful in saying what he would or would not be "for Jesus." Only Jesus determines what we will be "for" Him.

Is nature a witness to God? If we pray the psalms we know the answer to that is "yes." Nature tells us of the reality and power of God. We learn from the forces that move the stars and that regulate life in our world that God is a creator with design and beauty in mind. But what nature cannot tell us is that God is love. In fact, the world of bugs and animals often tells us that nature can be savage as well as beautiful. We need a more direct word from God, as wonderful as nature is. The Apostle John tells us that "Word," that meaning, has come from God, and His name is Jesus. I know though that "in Jesus" we can see nature differently than unbelievers do.

6. Suggestions for prayer: Jesus is a force for calm in our inner and outer world. The closer we draw to Him the more we can draw from Him to meet the needs of our world. We need to pray to be close to Him, and we need to think of Him during the day. It brings pain to pray for trouble spots in the world, and yet we must do this. It causes pain to pray good prayers for those who are vicious and violent, but they need prayers--and their victims need prayers. We might go back to Andrew Murray's insight in the box above and meditate and pray on the more "divine graces."