Mark 4:35-41
The Disciples: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (v.38b)
The Teacher: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (v.40)
And so, Jesus rebukes and silences the wind and the waves. And some say that at this point the disciples still failed to perceive Jesus' true identity. I don't think so. I think "the church" often fails to appreciate the reality of Jesus' purpose and cannot grasp the higher order of things in relation to his work. They are typically only concerned about their own lives, so much so that they cannot care enough about his sovereign Lordship.
Still not buying what I'm driving at?
Let's take a closer look at what Jesus said in these circumstances.
This story begins following a day filled with many parable instructions. As the day wraps up and the sun is setting, Jesus says to the disciples...
Mark 4:35
"Let us go across to the other side."
Did he say, "there's a storm coming, let's try and ride it out, see how it goes"?
Did he say, "don't be afraid, Peter, Andrew, James, and John are all skilled fishermen, they'll get us over there in-spite of the danger"?
No.
No that's not what he said. He said, let us pass over to the other side. He didn't say let us go under, let us sink, or any of the other things they were imagining during the storm. He rebukes them in terms of their faith, or the lack thereof. He rebuked them because it is their faith that is the thing that'll get them through it. And they weren't having it.
But what were they looking for?
What besides faith were they looking for, or looking to?
The storm is raging, the waves are crashing over the sides of the boat so much so that it's filling the boat with water and there's Jesus asleep in the back of the boat. He's not even in the front of the boat showing the way. He's not doing anything. Does he even care? Why doesn't he do something?
Mark 4:38
And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
And there it is. That's what's going on. They're looking for a present solution to a prescient problem.
Why do I say "prescient"?
Because Jesus told them, "Let us go across to the other side." That was his desire and his goal, and he knew that he'd fulfill it. But they didn't have faith in that prescience (Lat. praescio, to know before it happens). They needed something more tangible than just his presence and the faith that he is God Almighty, Creator of all things. Jesus' presence alone wasn't enough assurance for them.
And especially since he was SLEEPING of all things!
Where are you God!
Why aren't you here doing something!
My God, my God, why have you forsaken us!
And sarcastic Jesus says, "just whose idea was this boat ride anyway?"
But that's the point isn't it.
And Indignant Jesus says, "don't I care? what do you mean don't I care!"
But Lord...
Don't you care that I don't have enough money to pay the rent?
Don’t you care that my child is sick?
Don't you care that I feel so alone?
Don’t you care that my marriage is falling apart?
Don't you care that my spouse has died?
Don't you care that the cancer is eating me alive?
Don't you care that I lost my job and now I'm in the hospital with no insurance?
Lord! Why the hell don't you care!
Okay pause.
Mark 4:39
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Maybe you've heard it said...You’ll never know if Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. But when Jesus is all, you have, then you will know Jesus is all you need.
Mother Theresa once said something like that, “You’ll never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you’ve got.”
What would it take for you to have a complete faith in Jesus' prescient powers? To fully rely on him, even when you've lost all your own assurances.
Well friends,
That's the point.
What most folks have isn't assurance.
What most folks "of faith" have are assumptions. They assume things about their faith. And when those assumptions fail to be proven true, they presume some new ideas to cover for their lackluster faith perceptions. They invent new faith interventions in the form of idols. They find new intercessors who will answer them when they call. Or at least they imagine they're answering them. They create interventions that aren't asleep in the back of the boat. And before you know it, they've held a council and dictated a policy that enumerates those interventions. Now it's a new law. Now they've got something with some teeth that they can rely on.
No more invisible God who's sleeping on the job. Now they've got an idol lashed to the bow of the boat and she's leading the way.
Now for the truth:
Jesus said "let's go to the other side"
And they didn't take his word for it.
When trouble started coming at them, they failed to keep their faith in his purposes.
Here's a question I have for these disciples:
“Is Jesus still the Lord when he is asleep?”
And I have a question for you:
"Is Jesus still the Lord when you're going through whatever you're going through?"
Listen,
Manure happens. But Jesus is our prescient King of the Universe. The only faithful and good answer to any of these questions is to get in the boat with Jesus and ride with him wherever he wants to go. Paul got in the boat in spite of the thorn in his side that the Lord didn't remove even though he prayed that he would.
What did Paul know that made it possible for him to keep his faith strong?
Paul knew that where there are no storms, there is no faith. A little storm, a little faith. Many storms, much faith. And he knew there are no short cuts to getting to where Jesus is going. Getting into Jesus' boat means giving up your idols that you use to control what Grace is doing in your life. If Grace is asleep in the back of the boat, what business is it of yours that you want to go stir him up by some other means. What makes you think you can influence Gods plans with your idols?
The storms of life are not a detour. God sends you into them to build up your faith. And at some point, the Lord rises and says, “Peace, be still!”
Does he know about the storm in advance?
Of course he does.
Does he warn us in advance?
Not always.
But they learned about his prescient powers, and they learned that the circumstances obey his commands. And they learned they can’t manipulate God into avoiding the storms. They learned that the storm wasn't going to last, and the boat wasn't ever going to sink.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once commented on this scripture story:
“When Christ is in the boat, a storm always comes up.”
Get ready for trouble. Put the idols down and pick up your faith.
Time to put it to the test.
Just keep believing.