That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” — Mark 4:35-40
Three points to notice in this section:
- Jesus connects fear with a lack of faith. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” It’s almost as if Jesus is saying, if you had faith you wouldn’t be so afraid.
- Jesus rebukes the weather before he rebukes his disciples. Apparently, he knew that the most loving thing for them was to deal with the immediate cause of their fear before attempting to actually deal with the deeper root. Then, when the rebuke of the weather comes, it’s a simple “Quiet! Be still.” No fanfare or coersion here. Jesus simply says it, and it comes to pass.
- Jesus had originally said, “Let us go to the other side.” He did not say, “Let us go into the middle of the lake and die in a seething torrent of waves before reaching the other side.”
Ultimately, the way to answer our fears is to claim the truth of God:
- What has God said about this situation or anything like it?
- Who is in charge and where is he?
- Does he care?
Each of these is a profoundly deep question, but the final question is the easiest to explain and the hardest to fully grasp.
Does God care for you? Yes, after all, he sent his son to die for you. He loves you a great deal, and he can be trusted to keep loving you.
BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: With all his great authority, Jesus is aligning himself with us for our protection and our growth!
