Have you ever experienced a storm? Well, I guess! Everyone has! A storm is a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. With its definition, you would not want to encounter such phenomenon.
Nobody likes the storm because it is very devastating especially when the wind speed of the storm reaches 74-95mph. Though the storm reaching such speed is just a category 1 storm, its winds can still be very dangerous and can produce some damage to the environment and to its inhabitants. If it is already dangerous to the environment, how much more can it be to the people who are directly being swayed by the storm?
The story of the disciples encountering a storm is a great example of how the storm hit them and how the storm subsided with a supernatural command from a supernatural Commander.
Let’s go through the scriptures of Mark 4:35-41.
Jesus and His Disciples on The Boat
Mark 4:35-36
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
Prior to Jesus’s decision to cross the other side, Jesus was teaching by the sea. He was teaching parables like the parable of the sower, the parable of the mustard seeds and other beneficial life lessons. He was teaching the whole day until evening. So, apparently, Jesus was like on a teaching spree. How would you imagine a teacher, teaching the whole day with a great crowd? And teaching isn’t an easy task especially when the number of your listeners are numerous. In those days, lapel microphone (wireless microphone used for public speaking for hands-free operation) and megaphones (a large funnel-shaped device for amplifying and directing the voice) were not yet invented. So it is not really easy to stretch out your voice for the sake that ALL your listeners would hear you.
After teaching, Jesus left the crowd with his disciples and got in a boat to go on the other side. For employees, this would mean “Home Sweet Home”, “TGIF” and “Time to rest”. As they sail, Jesus fell asleep (Luke 8:23). Jesus sleeping would only mean that he got really tired from an all-day work, teaching all day long until the evening. He needed rest. Why? Because he became a 100% human being so Jesus feels what we feel. But for the disciples, rest is yet to come because of the unexpected turn of events.
In The Midst Of The Storm
Mark 4:37-38
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
A supposed to be “joy-ride” became a “trip to heaven” event. A great windstorm arose and the waves are splashing hard into the boat. The boat they are on was not built to withstand a storm. In fact, one big wave could break the boat into pieces. So if you are in a boat, experiencing such event, you’d probably shout, “WE ARE GOING TO DIE!”. As for me, who is afraid of deep water, this would be the worst day of my life, I CAN’T SWIM!
The disciples were getting frightened. They don’t know what to do even though some of them are experienced fishermen. They are panicking! The worst thing about the experience is, one of the members in the boat was sleeping! Jesus, the Savior, the Deliverer, the God of the Earth and the seas, was sleeping! Not only that, Jesus was sleeping with his head on a pillow! The disciples were panicking and Jesus was very comfy with his pillow. Just, WOW! How can you sleep in a stormy sea, with waves splashing on to the boat?
Because of the great storm devastating them, they went and woke Jesus.
Mark 4:24
38. . . And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
In the gospel of Luke they were even exclaiming “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (Luke 8:24). Clearly, the disciples are frightened and they might be thinking that all is lost and their Teacher, Jesus, seems not giving any care of them.
Jesus is the Lord Almighty, the God of heavens and the earth and He is ALL-KNOWING! If Jesus is God and He knew that a storm would hit them, why would he want to sail and even sleep with his head on a pillow? He should have not allowed them to sail. Or if he knew the storm was coming, he should not be sleeping but be on watch and protect his disciples. But that’s not the case. Jesus purposely allowed it for a reason.
Sometimes, the Lord seems so silent and distant in the midst of the storm. We feel that we are being abandoned like the Lord does not care about us. In this scene, the disciples did not rely on themselves but rushed to wake up the Lord and ask for help. Are we like the disciples, who ask God for help or are we trying to manipulate the situation knowing that we can never make it through by ourselves?
The Great Calm
Mark 4:39
39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Jesus got up and with two words, “Peace! Be still!“. Wow! Even nature obeys him! Not only the wind ceased, there was also a great calm! What would you do, if someone did something extraordinary in front of you? You’d probably make your jaw drop.
Mark 4:40-41
40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
After commanding the storm, Jesus asked His disciples with two life-changing questions, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?“. The disciples were not able to answer his questions but instead, were filled with great fear. We couldn’t blame the disciples for being afraid. It is natural since they are experiencing a life-threatening situation. Even me, I would be afraid knowing it can cost me my life. But if we allow that fear to consume us and don’t put our faith and trust in Jesus, that’s a different story.
Reflection
The questions can also apply to us. When storm (problems, trials, difficulties, sufferings), hits us, are we like the disciples who are afraid and lacked faith, knowing that Jesus is with us? You might even ask this questions, “Why does the Lord allow trials and difficulties?”, “Why does the Lord allow us to experience suffering?”, “If the Lord knows that there is trouble along the way, why would He still allow us to experience it?”, “Bakit minsan parang ang labo ni Lord?”, “Why the Lord seems so silent and distant?”.
Those are the questions that I’ve been contemplating these past few weeks. Why would He? But He also answered me with the question in Mark 4:40, “Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?”. These are the questions Jesus asked his disciples after He calmed the storm. Prior to that, the disciples were questioning Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”, after they saw Jesus sleeping with his head on a pillow.
Do you sometimes feel that in the midst of the storm, the Lord seems so silent and distant? We focus on our whys, questioning Him on the trials we are experiencing. But we forgot that the Lord is Lord and He is sovereign and is in complete control. We fail to trust Him. The Lord’s love for us isn’t proven without the testing of our faith. Untested faith is nothing but a display. Untested faith is not faith at all. The Lord wants us to grow!
Isaiah 48:17
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.
The storms we experience is the Lord’s part of purifying us and leading us in the way we should go. The Lord tests us to build us but Satan tests us to destroy us. So, let us think on the brighter side!
Whenever we are challenged, let’s think about Jesus’s questions, “Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?”.
“There are some things you learn best in calm, some in storm.”
Willa Cather
Like the disciples, Jesus will allow us to get into a boat and go on a journey. Along the way, He will allow us to experience the storms of life. But if we cry unto Him and ask for His salvation, the Lord will move and there will be a great calm. But that assurance is only possible if you already gave up your life to the Lord Jesus. The question is, have you already surrendered your life to Jesus?
Jasper Thoughts 