LESSONS FROM A STORMY BOAT RIDE

LESSONS FROM A STORMY BOAT RIDE

Mark 4:35-41

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(B) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 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?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(C)

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

It was at the end of the day, the beginning of night fall that our Lord asked his disciples to cross the other side of the lake. The day proved to be fruitful but tiring. He had taught the multitudes, eager to hear His message.

When evening came, He called it a day. To get away from the strain of the crowd, He asked his disciples to make arrangement so they could cross the lake of Genesaret, also known as the sea of Galilee.

The disciples took Him in one of the boats which were berthed there and they sailed. The account of Saint Mark of this incident, reveals that there were other boats which followed the vessel of Jesus and his disciples. Once on board, Jesus found a place in the stern of the boat where He peacefully fell asleep. He was not simply lying down half awake, He was in deep slumber. It was a deep night time sleep, following the natural rhythm of daytime and nighttime where man would normally work during the day and sleep at night.

This tells us quite a lot in the modern world. Our Lord did not waste his energy staying awake like most workaholics do. He did not overload his day sacrificing a restful night of sleep just to beat the deadline, or surpass the output.  

This Universe follows a natural course, and man is designed to live in harmony with this design. The invention of the electric light practically removed the  natural division of night and day, and man’s worldly activities now go on and on regardless of days or nights.

The act of Jesus in leaving the crowd to escape the pressing demands of the people is a lesson in relaxation and rest. Sleeplessness has been considered a badge of achievement for the hard driven businessman, political leader, or professional, who put in a lot of frenetic activities in the hours of long and extreme wakefulness.

The image of our Lord Jesus sleeping peacefully like a baby, secure the arms of His loving Father, without the slightest worry, or care, is the most  inspiring antidote to worry, fear and anxiety.

As we follow the account of Mark, the boat ploughed through the waters, while Jesus slept, in the stern. The waters were calm at the start of the voyage, and there were other boats following. Mark did not reveal who were the people in the other boats. They were probably the boat owners who were part of the crowd.

Then in the course of their journey, a furious squall came up. The storm brought big waves beating at the boat. The waves broke over the boat and swamped the boat with water. The master, crew, and passengers of the boat who at first were confident because of the good weather, ran into a panic. This was no ordinary turbulence, it was a windstorm, the big waves battering the boat.

We live in a world where storms visit us with regularity. We have stormy months. The viciousness of storms, tornados, hurricanes, heavy rains, leaving untold suffering  destruction, and death, in their wake are  part of our earthly lives.

Man is exposed to the vagaries of nature. Figuratively man may face other storms like sickness, financial ruin, bad experiences, disappointments, failures, frustrations, and physical disabilities. These are storms of life which visit both the believer and the unbeliever, the good and the bad, the wicked and the righteous.  

The people in the same boat with Jesus, were not spared of the storm. They cried out in fear. They were desperate. They saw the big waves, they felt the boat reeling and squeaking. They were afraid they will perish at sea.

If you were in the same situation who wouldn’t be?

So they probably asked the Captain of the boat what he would do, they called for the crew to do something, until they realized that Jesus was the only one who wasn’t in a panic because he was sleeping despite the tossing and swaying of the boat.

The frantic disciples awakened their Master. When He awoke, the disciples blurted out in unison “Teacher don’t you care if we drown?”

There was the sense of hopelessness, and doom. Jesus knew their fear.

This is the same cry that reverberates in this fallen world. Doesn’t God care? In times of trouble doesn’t God care? “Don’t you care?” they cried out to Him. Implicit in this question is the thought that somehow Jesus was to be blamed for the situation they were in. After all it was Jesus’ idea to take them for a ride.  

Jesus got up, looked out to the raging sea, and talked to the rampaging winds, “Quiet! Be still!”

The most amazing thing happened which the disciples had never seen in their entire life. The wind and waves obeyed Jesus.  The wind died down then it was completely calm.

The Creator of this earth had spoken and commanded the sea to be calm. Here the entire creation bends in complete subjection.

Then it was His turn to ask them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples became more terrified and afraid of their Master. They knew that they were no longer in the presence of an ordinary mortal, but of an awesome God, the only One to be feared, not the storms, not the wind and the waves of the sea, not even the greatest and most powerful of men on earth.

The Lord Jesus Christ rebuked the elements of nature, “Quiet! Be still!” like a father would  rebuke his unruly child. But in far higher plane, it was as much a rebuke of the disciples’ state of agitation, fearfulness, and ambivalent faith.

In times of crisis our Lord reminds us to be quiet and to be still. To put our confidence in Him because He is in absolute control, no matter what happens.

(Photo from brooklynmuseum.org)