(Mark 4:35-41)
“35 On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’ ”
…———…
Jesus calmed a storm while on the Sea of Galilee. This story is actually the centerpiece of three different stories that are linked together. The storm exists right in the middle of it all. When there is a storm, people typically shift their focus on the storm. In 2020, we all experienced our own storm that we called the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic. That storm seemed to envelop us, and it changed our lives and redefined our priorities. Many people felt like the waves were breaking overhead, inundating the boat. Many people, filled with fear, panicked and believed they were perishing. But understand this: the storm doesn’t deserve to be the center of our attention and it’s not what we should be placing our focus on. So, if your focus is currently on the storm you’re experiencing in life, may the Holy Spirit provide you with wisdom, enabling you to completely change your perspective about the focal point. May the Lord open your eyes and give you spiritual sight, seeing the depth beyond the surface of worldly ways. May the Lord open your mind to a new understanding and help you realize what is truly important in life. May GOD fill you with the peace that surpasses all human understanding as you rest in Him. Amen.
In chronological order, prior to Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus had been accused by the religious Pharisees of deriving his miraculous powers from Satan or demonic forces. They heard that He healed a blind man who also couldn’t speak, giving the man both sight and the ability to speak. And so these religious leaders — who believed themselves to be the best of the best and holiest of the holiest — demanded that Jesus give them a miraculous sign to prove to them He was who He said He was in order to authenticate His authority (Matthew 12:22-38).
Rather than appeasing the appetite for a performance of miraculous marvel and wonder, to be the greatest showman, Jesus resisted that temptation and instead called attention to the fact that anyone who is not with Him and opposes Him is actually working against GOD. Jesus then went on to explain to the crowd that His real family are the ones who do the will of the Father, not only hearing the Word of GOD, but also putting it into practice (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21). We must actually do what the Word says, not merely know what it says (Matthew 7:24-25; John 13:17; Romans 2:13; James 1:21-25). Satan himself knows GOD’s Word and even tried to use GOD’s Word to twist the Truth in order to tempt Jesus into sinning and abandoning His mission while He had spent His 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). So, it will not do you any good to know GOD’s Word if you don’t actually apply it to your life.
This is important because Jesus then goes on to teach the parable of the Farmer and the scattering of the seeds, about how seed fell to the different types of ground: the path, the rocks, the thorns, and the fertile soil. And Jesus also taught the parables of the weeds, the hidden treasure, and the fishing net. These, parables — which will be examined at a later time — essentially sum up the importance of being deeply rooted in GOD rather than the world.
And now, we reach the center of the three stories, which is Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. First, it must be noted that Jesus left the crowds behind in order to get in the boat with His disciples (Mark 4:36). GOD is always on the move! Are you following the Lord or your own way? Because you need to know that if you make the choice to follow the Lord, you’re going to end up in a storm, or multiple storms. Expect it and accept it! As mentioned in the “GOD-Breathed” Picture Scripture, dedicated disciples, as followers of Christ, we are going to be hated by the world, experience trials and tribulation, pain and persecution (Matthew 10:22; John 15:18-21). What is the cost of dedicated discipleship? Everything. Like Joseph of Aramathea, there will always be risk and sacrifice involved. But Jesus also tells us in John 16:33 that He warns us about this in advance so that we may have peace in Him. Jesus told us that here on Earth, we’re going to experience this; however, we should take heart (comfort) because Jesus has overcome the world.
So, at this point in the story, the disciples have chosen to follow Jesus. And now they’re in a boat with Him. It is written that Jesus was asleep when the storm came upon them. Jesus wasn’t worried! Despite the roar of the whipping wind, the crash of the waves, and the swaying of the boat, Jesus was unalarmed and peacefully sleeping. Jesus doesn’t merely possess peace — He is peace (Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27)! The interesting thing about this story is that it wasn’t the storm that woke Jesus up — it was the voices of the Lord’s children! And after Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, He then rebuked His disciples and told them they needed stronger faith. And now, we might, as the reader of this story, allow pride within us, saying to ourselves, “How could they lack faith like that? They were with the Lord! The Lord was with them! Well, if I were them and the Lord was with me—” Stop! Ponder. Isn’t the Lord with us as well (Matthew 28:20; John 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:7,13)? Or do you lack faith? GOD is not some distant deity like a deadbeat dad who only comes around on your birthday. So, do you need greater faith or do you realize that the Lord is with you right now? Don’t you see? This is the importance of the parable about the scattered seeds and the roots from the seeds. The deeper our roots in GOD, the stronger our faith will be. The depth of our roots is like a boat’s anchor which holds it in place. It is written in Hebrews 6:19 that our hope in the Lord is an anchor of the soul. How deep are your roots? When the storms of life come upon you, are you going to fall away?
Prior to this moment in the boat, Jesus had already spoken into their lives (Matthew 7:21-27). Jesus told them that doing the will of the Father is important, and the person who not only listens to the Word, but actually applies it to their lives, will be like a person who builds his house on the solid Rock foundation. And when (not if, but when) the storms of life come, that house will not collapse. This represents sturdy, unwavering faith. And because Jesus had spoken to them about this prior to them ever being in this situation in the boat, I’m willing to bet that they remembered His words and were thinking about it the rest of the boat ride until they got to their destination. They collapsed. They panicked. The storm came and they didn’t pass the test. And that just reveals what a wonderful Teacher the Lord truly is. He allows us to make mistakes so that we can learn. So, be honest with yourself: how are you doing in the storm? How deep are your roots? Do you have an anchor? How great is your faith?
Now, we arrive to the third and final part of the three stories. And just as we arrive to the shoreline of this third story, Jesus and His disciples arrive on the other side of the sea and make landfall. First and foremost, we must recognize that they made it through the storm and arrived to their destination on the other side. It is written in the inspired Scripture that it was Jesus’s idea to cross to the other side of the sea on a boat. This means that Jesus knew that they would enter into a storm. Yet Jesus allowed them to go through it. Why? Because the Lord is the loving Teacher and He knew they were going to get through it. It was a learning experience for His disciples. The storm did not steer them to the other side, to their destination, but it could have prevented them from arriving if they allowed it to alter their course and abandon their mission. But as deeply rooted, faith-filled, completely committed Christians, our trust is in the Lord and we will praise Him while in the storm!
And so, they arrived. They made it through one storm, but now they’re about to experience another (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). When they arrive into the country of the Gerasenes, two wildly violent and demon-possessed men come running toward them when they see Jesus. Perhaps the demons within thought this was their chance to take Jesus out and that’s why they ran toward Him. Or perhaps the inner man who desperately desired freedom ran to Jesus, momentarily breaking away from the demons’ control over him. While the man was running toward Jesus, the Lord commanded the evil spirits out and they fell before Jesus, not as powerful as they believed themselves to be. Understand this: The demons cried out to Jesus, “Son of the Most High God”, for Jesus to have mercy on them. Now even demons (who are fallen angels) believe that Jesus is who He says He is. But belief that Jesus is will never be enough (James 2:19). We must believe that Jesus is, but also trust in Jesus and confess that He is our Lord and Savior.
Now, you need to understand that the disciples just witnessed Jesus use His power and authority to control nature and calm a storm. Not only that, but the disciples are still shaken by the fact that their lack of faith could have caused their whole ‘house’ to collapse. And now they’re standing in a foreign location where the people believe no one should be, with two demon-possessed men. Should they attack? Should they just watch and see what Jesus does? Is this the time for them to redeem themselves? (What would you do?) They were in an area far away from their comfort zones. This is gentile area. Non-Jewish. These demon-possessed men live in a cemetery. They came from that area. And because they came out from the tombs, it is symbolic that they came out from death. This is a true collision of life and death, good and evil. According to Jewish ceremonial laws, the men Jesus encountered were unclean in three ways: (1) they were Gentiles (non-Jews), (2) they were demon-possessed, and (3) they lived in a cemetery. According to tradition, if these deranged men touched the disciples, then they would also be unclean themselves. Why in the world would Jesus take them to this place? “What are you up to, Lord? Why am I here? Why am I in the place I’m in? I don’t understand what’s happening!” Do you feel that way? “Why am I here? What’s happening? What do you want me to do?” I think most of us feel that way sometimes.
Jesus demands of the demons, “What is your name?” But why is this important? This is about identity. Yes— demons have names. Why? Because they’re fallen angels. They might have rebelled against GOD, but they are still creations of GOD, granted the great gift of free will. But instead of answering directly, out from the mouth of a demon possessed man comes, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And then the evil spirits beg Jesus not to send them to the abyss but instead to be allowed to enter into the nearby swine. Jesus then gave them permission and they entered about 2,000 pigs and caused them to drive themselves off the cliff, drowning in the water below.
Now, a legion was the largest unit of the Roman army, consisting of approximately 6,000 soldiers. So, it’s understandable why these two men were so overcome and overpowered by demon possession. Can you imagine having that many evil spirits within you? But when the demons asked Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, they apparently had a secret agenda of destruction and wanted to drive those pigs off the cliff. Jesus knew that. So, why did He give them permission to do this? Well, it seems evident that Jesus allowed this to happen for a few reasons. According to Old Testament law (Leviticus 11:7), pigs were unclean animals. So, people shouldn’t have been eating them anyway. But the main reasons, it seems, is that Jesus wanted to reveal the value of human life and also use this as a test for those living in that area.
After the pigs rushed over the cliff and into the sea, the herdsmen fled to the nearby town and told everyone about the incident; consequently, a crowd soon gathered. But if the herdsmen had to go get the crowd, that means Jesus and His disciples would have had time to flee the scene. But Jesus didn’t leave. He stayed. This is truly the reason why Jesus allowed the demons to enter into the swine and send them surging into the sea: this incident brought all the people to one place so that Jesus could test them and provide them with the same opportunities for healing and forgiveness that others had elsewhere. When these people arrived, they saw a man who had once been demon-possessed yet was now completely sane. But instead of celebrating a restored human life, the crowd reacted in fear and demanded that Jesus leave their presence. Now, ponder: they all had the same reaction that the demon-possessed man had — they reacted out of fear and rejection. So, were those people actually better off than the man who had been demon-possessed? They might have believed so because they had comfort and a lifestyle considered to be normal. But rather than celebrating a restored human life, the people placed their focus on their own livelihoods, businesses, money, etc. The people had prioritized profit over people, the love of money and a comfortable existence over the true life they could have had in the Lord. They would rather give up Jesus than lose safety, security, comfort, and convenience. Two men had been set free from Satan’s snare, but the people of that town thought only about themselves. Now understand this: Jesus knew they would demand He leave their presence. Yet Jesus provided them the same opportunity everyone else had been offered. That’s the love of GOD.
Jesus tells us that everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin (John 8:34). Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Corinthians 3:17). So, ponder: how many people of that area in this story were set free that day? By the time Jesus departed from them, how many people were still slaves to the ways of the world? In a great reversal, Jesus revealed that those who had considered themselves to be free were actually slaves to the ways of the world.
An issue of the heart:
• GOD knows our thoughts and examines our hearts (1Samuel 16:7; Psalm 94:11; Matthew 9:4).
• The heart is the start and directs the deeds. A repentant person receives a changed heart; a changed person can change culture/society. However, the ones with hardened hearts will fall into death just as the swine fell over the cliff and drowned in the sea (Proverbs 4:23; 28:14; Matthew 12:34; 15:18-19; Romans 2:5).
• Hearts can change. And when they do, priorities change (Jeremiah 24:7; 32:39; Ezekiel 11:18-20; 18:31; 36:26).
• When we desire for GOD’s will to be done, evil is incompatible and inconceivable (Luke 22:42).
Truly, the real battlefield is within you. The heart and the mind. So, how deep are your roots? What is the depth of your faith? Do you trust that GOD’s will is what is best and what is right? Do you truly believe what is written in Romans 8:28 that GOD works together all things for our good? Are you seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33)? Do you prioritize GOD’s will above everything else?
Why did Jesus go to the country of the Gerasenes? The answer is found in Luke 15 within the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. The Lord will leave the 99 in order to go find the one. And there is more joy in Heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to GOD than over 99 others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
Now, there is a very minor yet extremely important detail of this story that must be examined. When the people of the town showed up, the man who had been demon-possessed and naked was now completely sane and fully clothed. Where did he get the clothes? The clothes either belonged to the man, and they were retrieved from some place they had been sitting for years, or the clothes came from one of the disciples, or Jesus Himself. Scripture doesn’t say. Regardless, this is the picture of redemption and restoration that was originally seen in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned when GOD clothed them (Genesis 3:21). But this is also the picture of our future restoration on the new earth under the new heavens with the Lord when we will see people clothed in white (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:9-17; 21:3-6). And the clothing and the covering is also the picture of our new bodies we will receive in the life to come (2Corinthians 5:1-10).
Understandably so, the man, after being restored, asks Jesus to go with Him. Surprisingly, Jesus tells the man no. And I can imagine one of the disciples saying to Jesus, “Wait. What? Dedicated disciples are hard to find, Lord. Why would you not let this man come with us?” Most of the time, Jesus urged those He healed to keep quiet. But this time, Jesus told the man to go tell everyone. So, why the difference on this occasion? Because the man was essentially being sent to do the Great Commission and be a witness for the Gospel. Jesus started the grafting in of the Gentiles (Romans 11)! It is an awesome picture of GOD’s love! The man was changed. But now he had to go actually live a life of change to truly have Christ within. Therefore, Jesus did not reject him! In stark contrast, Jesus commissioned that man to be an evangelist!
It is written in Matthew 12:43-45 that “when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
It is written in 2Peter 2:20-22: “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.’ ”
Understand that this goes full circle, arriving back to the parable of the Farmer and the scattered seeds, where the seeds landed on the different types of ground. How deep are your roots? What is the depth of your faith? Do you trust the Lord? Do you trust the Lord enough for you to actually live out the life you’re supposed to live? Don’t let words merely be words!
Jesus told the changed man, rather than going with Him, to go to his family, and tell them of his changed life. And that man took action and proved that he had a changed life. This is what it means in James 2:17 when it says, “faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”
The disciples found themselves in a storm of uncertainty! The villagers of that area found themselves in a crisis! GOD will often allow us to lose what we want and what we rely upon so that we will realize who we truly need and what’s truly important. This is about our priorities, our central focus. We cannot have deep roots in GOD and strong faith unless GOD’s will is priority number one, second to none. Are you seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33)? Is GOD’s Word the Bread of Life (John 6:35,48-51) and the Living Water (John 4:10-14; 7:38)? Faith moves us into action while trusting in the Lord.
How deep are your roots? What is the depth of your faith? If you know you need deeper roots and greater faith, it’s time to take action from the Word. If your house doesn’t hold up well in this current storm, you’re not going to do well in the times that are soon coming. If you want to survive the storm and have your house of faith hold up through anything, you must have deep roots. And the only way to do that is to know GOD’s Word and obey GOD’s Word by actually living out GOD’s will. And as it is written in Hebrews 6:19, hope in the Lord is the anchor of our souls.
Let’s conclude with a prayer. Lord, please fill us with conviction and help us come into alignment with Your will. And please give us bold courage to take action from the Word you give us. I boldly declare: yes— I do walk by faith and not by sight. Even when I find myself in the middle of a storm, I know You are the anchor of my soul! Lord, as I spend time with you in prayer, please give me that revelation and instruct me as to what you would have me do. And once I receive that prompting, please embolden me to be obedient and take action, loving and helping people, shining light into the darkness of this world, and leading people to You. May I partner with You in the work for the Kingdom. Thank You in advance for correcting my direction and altering my course while guiding me every step I take. I am ready for the storm because I know what You have planned for me on the other side. Amen.
…———…
The Artist J:
In Mark 4:38 the disciples asked Jesus, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Have you ever found yourself in a fearful situation like the disciples were going through in these verses? Something so tough and so hard that it shook your faith and made you fearful enough to question whether God really cared that you were even going through it? If you’ve felt this way you wouldn’t be alone. Many men and women of God throughout scripture have been in the same boat. (Pun intended.)
Even though the disciples’ faith may have been scarce during these rough seas, we can actually learn something from these fearful men that were chosen of God during this terrifying lesson for them.
When the disciples were in this storm, fear sweeping over them, waves breaking over and filling up the boat, and feeling like they were going to perish from the ferocity of the storm that had assailed them, they still took their troubles and cast them on Jesus. They woke Him up.
This is a common theme in scripture when anybody called by God was going through a tough time. When things get rough, followers of God press into Him even harder, fasting, praying and crying out with all their might.
Take Hannah for example in 1Samuel 1:10 where it says “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.”
Or David when God was disciplining him for his sin, and his baby was going to die. 2Samuel 12:16-17 says, ”David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night. The elders of David’s family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.” David was told what was going to happen to his baby but he still had to lay his troubles on God.
Or Psalm 88 written by Heman the Ezrahite who was the grandson of the prophet Samuel and who was appointed by David as a choirmaster. He wrote in the midst of a heavy heart, “O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol [the grave]. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves [the disciples were led into literal waves]. Selah. You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah. Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? [In a since saying as the disciples, “teacher, do you not care we are perishing”] Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? [In the disciples’ case, they were probably asking themselves “Why is He sleeping?”] Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.”
Heman the choirmaster was in severe distress in these verses and yet he cried out to the Lord in song, seeking to gain God’s attention. Not that He didn’t already have it, for the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and always hears the prayers of His saints, but He doesn’t always respond immediately.
Esther and Mordecai fasted and prayed before Esther was to confront the king, or also when all the Jews were to fight against Haman’s decree.
Esther 4:16 says, “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
The point of all these examples is that when we are going through a major trial or are in severe distress, we are not to wallow in our fear, but instead take hold of Christ and cling to Him with everything we have and all the faith we can muster up, as little as it may be at the moment.
Mark 4:39-40 then says, “And [Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ ”
Why are you afraid? Scripture lets us know time and time again we are not to be afraid. In Philippians 4:6-7 we are commanded not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Our job is to simply tell God our trouble and then trust the Lord in the middle of it, letting him take care of the rest. All we are to do is cast all our troubles on Him and He says He will sustain us. That’s why we can have rest, because once we’ve prayed about our troubles and transferred them to Jesus, it’s no longer our troubles, they’re His troubles now. God will see to them how He best sees fit according to His will, and you can be guaranteed that it will always be for His glory and for your own good.
Psalm 37:5 says to “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and He will act.”
Psalm 37:7-9 says, ”Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him….” “Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”
Psalm 37:39-40 says, “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”
Fear not. Fret not. Don’t be anxious. Instead pray, commit your way, take refuge in and trust in God, and He will act.
You see, Jesus told His disciples to get in the boat and set sail to the other side, so if Jesus told them to do it then in reality they didn’t need to worry at all, because they were doing God’s will. They were under God’s authority, His direction, and could of had rest because rest and peace comes not from varying circumstances but from knowing God and doing God’s will. He is in control, completely sovereign. The stormy winds made the waves of the sea so chaotic and the disciples so fearful that they didn’t have faith that Jesus was even more powerful than the storm. This is what a lack of faith in God does in our own lives even to this day. Without knowing and trusting that God is sovereign and in control of every one of our circumstances, even the ones that seem bad, and without realizing that God is infinitely more powerful than whatever it is you’re going through, then we do just like the disciples did and focus only on what’s going on around us and becoming increasingly more fearful and anxious, tearing away at our peace that comes from Jesus, asking, “Why is God sleeping during my circumstances?”
Fully unaware that if God led us in that direction then no matter what storms come against us God is fully in control and is working it for your good and His glory. Jesus leads and we just trust him and have rest.
For example, look at Matthew 11:29-30. Jesus says “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light, but many people have a misconception that this means we are to be yoked together with Jesus. But thinking you’re in a partnership with Jesus can actually lead to more distress and unrest. Jesus says it’s HIS yoke. When does the master ever yoke himself together with the oxen? The master yokes oxen together to steer them and lead them on the path it should take. In this case, sailing to the other side of the sea of Galilee through a storm.
Jesus isn’t just asking us to partner with Him, He’s asking us to place yourself under His authority, under His lead and guidance over your life. That is in turn what gives you rest.
Think about this, at a workplace the person in a leadership position deals with more stress than someone who just follows what they’re told to do. One has the burden of coming up with plans, and keeping things in order, making sure the business is properly maintained and running efficiently, instructing the laborers and managing their schedules and workloads, where they all need to be and what they need to be doing. While on the other hand, the workers themselves have lighter burdens, without all the extra stress and pressure of keeping the business running. All they have to do is what they’re told. They just have to obey the leading of their superior and their burden will be light.
It’s the same with Jesus. Let Him make the plans and bear all the stress, all you have to do is obey Him, just do what He tells you. Fully aware that He will lead you on the best possible path for you with just the right amount of work for you to handle.
And finally if the disciples who asked Jesus if He cared that they were perishing, only could have realized that Jesus was only there with them on that boat, going through the storms of life with them in bodily flesh, because God cared that we were perishing. Jesus was only on the earth in the flesh because we were perishing from the wages of our sin, a spiritual storm that was killing all mankind and He cared so much that He took it upon Himself to calm the storm.
Jesus asked the disciples in the boat “do you still have no faith?”
But the thing is that Jesus still calmed the sea and wind for them. Because Jesus is God, and if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself (2Timothy 2:13).
God was and is and always will be faithful to keep His own from perishing.
Take a look at the benefits of the disciples going through this frightening experience. God used the fierce storm to show the disciples something about Himself that they had not known before. They learned something incredible about Jesus that they would not have previously known if Jesus hadn’t led them into the great tempest and crashing waves. Before the disciples entered that boat they knew Jesus was powerful, and they had seen Him heal people and do miracles, but now they had an even greater understanding of just how fearfully powerful and how glorious Jesus really was! They now understood that Jesus even had authority over nature.
Little by little, through every miracle, and through every difficulty, and every event, through every word spoken, Jesus was teaching his disciples a little bit more about Himself than they knew before, forming greater faith in them. He wanted them to understand that He was God better on that day than they did the day before, and Jesus still does that with us.
Jesus is the perfect image of God, and the longer you follow Him and the more you spend time with Him the more clearly you see that image. Everything we go through is designed with the purpose of decreasing our faith in our own merits and increasing our faith in Christ!
-I was led into the storm,
All I saw was the waves crashing and the thunder roar,
My heart was sinking faster than the boat’s flooding floor,
“AM I PERISHING?!
WILL I EVER SEE THE SHORE?!
MY MASTER TOLD ME TO SET SAIL ACROSS THE SEA,
BUT A STORM CAME AND ALL HE DOES IS SLEEP!
TEACHER, IF YOU DON’T WAKE NOW THEN THIS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME! ”
Then suddenly the master arose,
A sternness on His face, and calmly composed,
Steadily He walked to front of boat, and gazed out at the storm, waves crashing higher than the side of our boat had widely formed,
He stretched out his hand, eyes fixed on the sea with an intensity you could feel,
Suddenly my every hair rose up on the back of my neck with a chill,
As I heard three simple words
“PEACE BE STILL.”
And peaceful it was,
the storm gone without a trace,
Jesus turned with a concerned look on his face,
“Why were you afraid, have you yet no faith?”
The waves had vanished,
And the wind had erased.
My fears of the storm had now swapped their place,
My awe was now on this man of mercy and grace,
I’m absolutely terrified and yet completely amazing, is this God that I’m standing with face to face?
But who am I that God Himself would want someone like me to sail with Him?
“But who else could be on this ship that can silence the sea and the wind?”