Lent - Day 13
Jesus Calms the Storm
"When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.
Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:35-41
13 is normally associated with being out of luck. And today (day 13) it seems like this was also the case for these followers of Jesus as well.
Let Us Cross to the Other Side (of the Lake)
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat and then out of nowhere, a violent storm threatens to sink their boat. What could be more frightening than that?
Well, for one, being on a boat and Jesus wasn't there. And two choosing who among them should go and wake Him up.
Well, those in the boat with Jesus, all woke Him up.
And then all Jesus did was say "silence" and "be still". Well this is more like directed to them too, and not just to the waves and the winds.
Be Still
Jesus told them before He went to sleep that they will cross to the other side. How quickly did they forget that? Well the storms of life will do that to the best of us, and as we can see, even to the closest of His followers.
Silence
But Jesus silences these storms and fears, and as He asked them, He too asks us, "why as we so afraid" and "why do we still have no faith".
Fear
Going back to the narrative, after this happened, I wonder if they were more afraid of Jesus than anything else. I mean they were asking among themselves "who is this man" that even the sea and the wind obey Him.
This is more like how I suppose the religious leaders of the day and His detractors would have felt about Him -- they feared Him.
Have Faith
Anyway, the proper response should have been faith. Jesus has shown them that they have nothing to fear and that their faith is secure. When He says that they will make it through to the other side, then they will -- storm or no storm.
Yes, we of little faith.
I pray that you will continue with us through this 40 day journey as we read through the Gospel of Mark, praying, fasting and abstaining from temporal things as we focus on the eternals.
"When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.
Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:35-41
13 is normally associated with being out of luck. And today (day 13) it seems like this was also the case for these followers of Jesus as well.
Let Us Cross to the Other Side (of the Lake)
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat and then out of nowhere, a violent storm threatens to sink their boat. What could be more frightening than that?
Well, for one, being on a boat and Jesus wasn't there. And two choosing who among them should go and wake Him up.
Well, those in the boat with Jesus, all woke Him up.
And then all Jesus did was say "silence" and "be still". Well this is more like directed to them too, and not just to the waves and the winds.
Be Still
Jesus told them before He went to sleep that they will cross to the other side. How quickly did they forget that? Well the storms of life will do that to the best of us, and as we can see, even to the closest of His followers.
Silence
But Jesus silences these storms and fears, and as He asked them, He too asks us, "why as we so afraid" and "why do we still have no faith".
Fear
Going back to the narrative, after this happened, I wonder if they were more afraid of Jesus than anything else. I mean they were asking among themselves "who is this man" that even the sea and the wind obey Him.
This is more like how I suppose the religious leaders of the day and His detractors would have felt about Him -- they feared Him.
Have Faith
Anyway, the proper response should have been faith. Jesus has shown them that they have nothing to fear and that their faith is secure. When He says that they will make it through to the other side, then they will -- storm or no storm.
Yes, we of little faith.
I pray that you will continue with us through this 40 day journey as we read through the Gospel of Mark, praying, fasting and abstaining from temporal things as we focus on the eternals.
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