Sail the Stormy Waters

Mark 4: 35-41

Jesus Calms a Storm

As usual, Jesus was teaching around the Sea of Galilee. Among the listeners were his disciples and a crowd. When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us go across (in-through) to the other side.”

The disciples agreed with Jesus’ suggestion, and they took Jesus with them in the boat; other boats were with them.

After teaching them for one day, Jesus intended to test his disciples through this experience of crossing the sea. He wanted to reveal if they had indeed learned the lesson of faith. Faith comes from hearing, and it needs to go through (in-through) and not “go over” trials or practice. The former emphasizes trials and learning process, the latter divine deliverance.

While the boat was on the sea, a great storm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. The disciples were seasoned fishermen, and they had always been fishing in this sea. Despite their experience, they panicked when faced with such a terrible storm.

We would be anticipating the outcome. Would they be able to go through the strong wind and huge waves to reach the other side of the sea?

The disciples wrestled with the sea and were very miserable. However, Jesus did not notice and was sleeping nonchalantly in the stern. Jesus was not afraid of the battering of the waves; he was sound asleep in spite of the dangerous and terrible situation.

Jesus is telling us that when faced with such a storm, we have a second option, that is to be sleeping soundly like him.

The disciples couldn’t help but to wake him up. They said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are going to die?”

They were very afraid of the storm and were grumbling against him for his apparent unconcern. Today, we will also be very fearful when we face storms and hardships in our lives. Many a time, God will remain silent and we will grumble against God for not watching over us.

The storm did not wake Jesus; it was the disciples who couldn’t wait to wake Jesus up.

Jesus got up from his sleep, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And just like that, the storm went still and everything was very serene.

Jesus rebuked the storm in the same way he would rebuke evil spirits. In ancient Canaanite culture, the storm or great waters (sea) represents the evil forces, and only God can subdue it. Jesus himself had the power to subdue the force of the sea. He does not require any help from a higher authority or power.

With Jesus in the Boat We Can Smile Through the Storm

After Jesus calmed the storm, instead of assuring his disciples that he understood their feelings, he rebuked them, saying, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

What Jesus meant was, you should know me better than this! Do not be surprised when you face a storm, because those who follow me will go through storms. Can’t you trust in me and persevere through the storm when you face such situations? I am in the boat with you, I did not abandon you!

After the storm was calmed, the disciples were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

The disciples witnessed Jesus’ power over the storm, and they were very terrified. Jesus has power that is greater than the storm and beyond our grasp. He does not act according to our plans or in a way we deem reasonable.

However, he will not destroy us. He is a God who cares for us. He is omnipotent and omniscient; compassionate and merciful. This alone is enough for us to be fearless when we are in a storm with him. We are to continue to trust in him and to depend on him to go break through the storm.

The focus of this narrative is not calling on Jesus to deliver us from hardships. The main focus is to train the disciples to grow in faith.

Today, Jesus is also inviting us, whether as individuals or as a church, to go across to the other side of the sea with him. This is a journey of faith where we can exercise our faith, to break through boundaries and broaden our horizons. This is where we will achieve greater heights whether as an individual or as a church. We have been stagnant for a very long time, now let us ride with Jesus!

In this journey with our Lord who loves us, he allows us to be battered by storms because he wants to achieve some higher purposes: to allow our faith to grow; to discipline us so that we come back to the right path; to build up our spiritual life; to know God better, or to learn to support each other.

Everything in this world needs to go through resistance and put to the test before it can be useful, before it can be as pure gold. How can we build muscle without exercising? Without the wind going against the plane, how can a plane get enough lift to fly upwards?

Jesus told His disciples, “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:26)

The phrase “have to” shows that suffering is a certainty in the journey of faith. Jesus himself went through great suffering. Similarly, His disciples will enter into the glory that God has promised us after we go through suffering or storms.

The greatness of Jesus comes from His love, a love that motivates him to lead by example and go through all that we have to go through first, up to the point where he even experienced death. However, He was raised from the dead! Therefore, with his great power, he can help those who goes through suffering and storms in their journey of faith.

Jesus is the God with power beyond our understanding; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He has the authority to control any situation. He is also our kind and loving God. Submitting ourselves into His hand is the safest thing to do.

Jesus promised that He will cross over with us to the other side of the sea. Although the journey might not be smooth sailing, He will be there to protect us and see us to the other shore.

Jesus promised to His people, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 14:27, 16:33)

No matter the circumstances, whether it is the strong wind and huge waves crashing over you, all you need to do is to revere and serve our Lord Jesus, submit your needs to Him, and depend on Him.

Why are you afraid when Jesus is in the boat with us? His grace is sufficient for us. In Christ, we can go through the storm and reach the other side of the sea. In fact, the real problem of our lives is not the external storms, but our internal faith, whether it is easily shaken or not.

That is why Jesus asked His disciples in this manner: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Obviously, the disciples failed this test of faith.

Do you want to go over to the other side of the sea? Is there any storm coming towards you? Do not try to run away from it. Instead, face it. The Lord is with you. By His power and grace, you can go through the storm and still find peace in it.

Jesus is the Jonah of the End Time

The words that Mark used in his narrative of Jesus and his disciples encountering the storm on the Lake of Galilee echoed the story of Jonah and the storm.

Both Jonah and Jesus were in a boat, on the verge of being swallowed up by the storm. Both Jesus and Jonah were asleep. In both stories, the sailors woke them up and said, “We are going to die!” In both stories, God in His great power intervened and calmed the storm. In both stories, the sailors were even more afraid after the storm had been calmed.

However, there is a slight difference in these stories. Amidst the huge waves, Jonah told the sailors, “If I die, all of you will live.” So they threw him into the sea.

The story in Mark does not have this part. However, is there really no such “substitute sacrifice” in the whole of Mark’s narrative?

In chapter 12 of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus pointed to himself and said, here is one who is greater than Jonah. Jesus is saying that He is the real Jonah who one day will achieve victory over all the storms and calms all the waves of humanity. At that time, He will destroy death and mend the chasm between God and man. How did He do it?

Jesus did it by dying on the cross as a substitute for sinners, just like Jonah was willingly thrown overboard into the fiercest vortex. But the vortex that Jesus was thrown into was the final storm that would ultimately drown all of us, that is, the righteous judgement of our sins. It is the deadly debt of our sins. This storm will not stop until it is removed.

Jesus jumped into this storm, sacrificing his life for sinners. It is a very shocking picture, which leaves us unable to complain or doubt: “My Lord, do you not care about me?”

Jesus is with you in that final storm, He did not abandon you, He even died for you. Today, as you face life’s various trials, why do you think that He will leave you and abandon you?

Invite Jesus into your hearts today, so that you might feel His love for you, His understanding and care for you. Jesus wants to give you the anointing of the Holy Spirit, that your faith and strength might increase, that you might be able to face any situation in life. Jesus wants to help you and also help the church to go through the storm to the other side of the sea!

On the other side, we will arrive on high ground, we will see further, receive more blessings, more grace. Let us accept Jesus’ invitation to sail with him in the boat.