Mark 4:39-41 (NKJV) 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
(As is often the case while I am traveling I have found it difficult on this trip to find the time and “in the midst of jet lag” energy to post anything. I hope those of you that have been reading will continue to check back over then next 5 weeks. We are currently in the nation of Tanzania. We are blessed to be hosted by missionaries Chris and Holly Oesterblad and Agape Ministries. Their main work is a bible school, which is part of the same ministry Sharon Fox Cranford long represented in Kenya. Chris and Holly, as well as their three boys age 7 to 10 have treated us royally and, although the internet is a little slow by our standards, I am posting today.
Pray for them and their ministry here in Tanzania. They are doing a great work and, of course, face great challenges. We look forward to a long relationship helping them in the harvest.)
I had the privilege of speaking to the local church here on campus this Sunday morning and as is usually the case, I was having trouble settling on a message. As we were enjoying a special song by a group called the “Jerusalem Band”, I found my mind going to a message I have preached a number of times but not recently. It deals with today’s scripture. I had no idea what the words to the song said since I do not speak Swahili, but after it was finished, the person leading the service explained in English that the song was about the very same story as the message that came to mind! I had my message.
This is a very familiar story from the bible. However, we usually miss some things when we read it. First, this story takes place in one of the most significant chapters in the bible. Mark 4 contains Jesus explanation of the parable of the sower. This teaching unlocks faith in the word of God like few other teachings in the bible.
The bible says in verse 35, that on the very same day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go to the other side of the lake.” As they were in the boat on the journey, Jesus fell asleep. As he slept, a storm arose on the lake. Many of the disciples were professional fisherman, and yet the storm was so severe that even these professional seamen were afraid.
We might be harsh on the disciples when we see what they did next, but I wonder how many of us would have done any better. They cried out to Jesus saying, “Don’t you care that we are about to die. How can you sleep through this great a storm? Jesus gets up, stands in the front of the boat and speaks to the storm, “Peace, be still!” To the amazement of the disciples, the wind and the waves obey him and they are saved.
As I read this story, I wondered along with Jesus why the disciples seemed to have no faith in him when they faced the storm. They had lived with him for some time by now. They had seen him do great things. They had just heard one of the most powerful teachings in the bible and yet when faced with adversity all they could do was question Jesus’ love for them. What was their problem?
As I read the last verse of this chapter, I understood what the problem was.
Mark 4:41 (NKJV) 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
The reason the disciples had no faith even after living with Jesus and seeing who he was and what he could do is that they did not understand who was in their boat. They had heard him teach. They had watched him heal the sick and provide for needs in ways that defied explanation and yet they really did not understand who he was.
I began thinking about the idea of a boat. I am not a good swimmer. I might be able to “beat my way across the water” for a short distance, but if I had to bet my life on my ability to stay afloat in open water, I would lose. When you are out in a boat and you cannot see the shore that boat becomes you whole life. It is your safety. It contains whatever provision you are going to have. It is the only way you are going to get to where you need to go. If that boat sinks, you are finished especially if you swim like I do.
In my thinking, I could see a boat on the open water as a type of our lives. We are on the open water of life. We traverse the expanse of the water in a boat made out of what we believe. If we are unsaved, our boat is made only out of what we know and what we believe naturally. Our boat consists of our ability to provide for our needs. It consists of whatever relationships or resources we have access to that can sustain us or prosper us in our journey. We even use a term when we are in trouble that relates to this nautical idea of life. We say that we must do enough to “stay afloat.”
We all go through life in this boat. If we are saved, we need to understand that we are not alone in our boat. The disciples understood the sea. They were professional fishermen but their knowledge was insufficient to overcome the storm they were facing. They were leaning to what their natural knowledge could provide for them. However, they had a very important passenger in their boat.
They knew Jesus and yet when the pressure of the storm came, they turned to natural knowledge and natural abilities. They knew Jesus was there. They knew there was something special about him. They may have even guessed he was the Messiah. However, under duress they did not really know who was in their boat.
We may know Jesus. We may have walked with him for many years. We may have seen him do wonderful things in our lives but when we are faced with a storm, do we really know who is in our boat? If we lean to our natural abilities or understanding and find them lacking, do we understand who is in our boat with us. The disciples did not.
Let me ask you today. Do you know who is in your boat? When the storms of life arise, do you understand the nature of the savior who rides through them with you? If you are afraid, I can tell you for certain that you do not really understand who he is. If you wonder if he has stopped caring as the disciples did, you have missed the nature of the one in your boat.
Jesus is with you through every storm. If the wind and the waves need to be calmed, he can do it. If your boat seems to be filling with water, cry out to him in faith and he will be there to get you to the other side. Our boat is made up of what we believe just like everyone else’s boat. The difference is our boat is made strong by what we believe about Jesus and who he is in our boat.
Lord and time willing, we will look at who is in your boat over the next few days. In the mean time, know this. Jesus loves you. He is with you and he will be there in any and every storm life can throw your way. Since he is in your boat you cannot fail to make it to the “other side” in your life’s journey.
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