Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us
go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with
them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale
arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being
swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up
and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up
and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind
ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have
you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one
another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’
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Jesus had gotten into the boat to teach. I wonder if the fishermen would have headed out across the lake at that point if Jesus hadn't asked to go. (How much warning did storms give in that location?) Might that in itself have been a first step of faith? Mustard seed?
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Jesus had gotten into the boat to teach. I wonder if the fishermen would have headed out across the lake at that point if Jesus hadn't asked to go. (How much warning did storms give in that location?) Might that in itself have been a first step of faith? Mustard seed?
Well, reading the gospel of Mark, I can certainly see why Jesus' followers didn't understand him, because I don't understand Mark's image of Jesus. Jesus powerful, yes, and frequently uses his power for healing. And he says cryptic things, and gets annoyed when people don't understand what he didn't explain.
ReplyDelete"Have you still no faith?" What exactly has happened so far that they should have faith in?
It is a good thing we have more gospels than just Mark
Jesus didn’t come to get you out of the storms of your life, He came to take you through them.
ReplyDeleteHill, Cherie (2012-01-14). BE STILL (Let Jesus Calm Your Storms) (Kindle Locations 583-587). . Kindle Edition
Believing in this statement has been a very important part of my journey that I am on in this lenten season. Many times for many years now Jesus' words of "Peace Be Sstill" has been of great comfort to me.