Mark 4:35-42 The Calming of the Storm (Gospel for June 25, 2006)

Observation

The gospel depicts the disciples’ reaction to Jesus, who was sleeping amidst a storm. They found him sound asleep and woke him up saying “Master, don’t you care if we sink?” This suggests that the disciples acknowledged that Jesus had the power to do something about the storm, but was not doing anything about it.

When Jesus woke up, he immediately ordered the wind and the sea “Quiet! Be still!” These are the same words that Jesus used to cast out demons in Mark 1:25. After calming the sea, Jesus said to them “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” Note that Jesus calmed the sea FIRST, and then rebuke his disciples. Wouldn’t it have been more logical to say this BEFORE performing the miracle?

Interpretation

We should note that the context of this passage is when the early Christians were being persecuted, especially by Nero. At that time, God may have appeared as absent (or sleeping) to the church which was tossed by the storms of persecution. It may have reminded the early Christians of the Babylonian exile when God appeared to have abandoned them.

In Jewish mentality, the sea always depicts danger, mystery and terror. When Jesus calmed the storm just as he does with the demons, it affirmed his divine power over the forces of evil. Mark makes no distinction between “healing miracles and nature miracles.”[1] The message must have reassured the early Christians that God has not abandoned them.

According to the biblical view of things, sound asleep is a sign that a person has entrusted his life totally to God. In the Gospel, the disciples misunderstood Jesus’ sleep. Rather than a sign of being insensitive, it teaches to rely on God. Jesus practiced what he preached in the Sermon on the Mount, “your Father knows all that you need”.

Jesus must have purposely rebuked the disciples AFTER the calming of the storm. The impact of words “do you not have faith?” become more impactful after the miracle.

Generalization

When we decide to be a follower of Jesus and take the road less travelled, we can be assured that persecutions and bad press will follow us. I recall what Bishop Ted Bacani said once: “when you decide to follow Christ, do not look for your cross; people will go out of their way to give you one.”

It takes faith to instinctively trust God to deliver us from any kind of tribulation. It is only in faith that we can experience peace and calm in even the fiercest storms of life.

Application

- What are the storms in your life right now?
- How can you apply the gospel message to your situation?

Co-authored by Maryann Gan (SE-10) and Manny Blas

[1] Nil Guillemette. A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul Publication, 1988), 42.