Mark 4:35–41
Evening had come. Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side.”
Then came the storm. A fierce gale. Waves breaking over the boat. Water filling it.
And Jesus?
He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
The disciples woke Him: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Their fear was real. The storm was real. The danger was real.
But fear was beginning to interpret Jesus. His silence became indifference. His apparent inactivity became lack of care.
Fear can do that: Misinterpret.
It can move from interpreting our circumstances to misinterpreting the character of God.
Yet the silence of God should not be interpreted as the indifference of God.
Visibility is not the measure of God’s activity.
Jesus had not left the boat. He had not stopped caring.
He stood and spoke: “Hush, be still!”
The wind died down. A great storm became a great calm.
Jesus did not pray for someone else to still the sea. He spoke—and creation obeyed.
The Psalms declare that the LORD stills the roaring seas. (Psalms 65:7). Hebrews tells us that the Son “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Colossians tells us that “in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17)
Now the disciples were seeing something of that reality before their eyes.
The One sleeping in their boat was the One creation obeyed.
Jesus then asked:
“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Perhaps our instinct is to hear this simply as: I need more faith.
But Christian faith is not a resource we manufacture, stockpile, and then deploy against fear.
Faith has an object.
Jesus.
The disciples had called Him “Teacher.”
But after the storm became calm, they became more afraid:
“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The storm was not ultimately the climax of the story.
Jesus was.
And perhaps that is where our gaze must remain.
When we cannot understand the storm, look at Jesus.
When His activity is not visible, look at Jesus.
When fear whispers, “Does He care?” look at Jesus.
When we are tempted to measure the strength of our faith, look again at Jesus.
Hebrews says that we do not yet see all things subjected to Him..
“But we do see Him… namely, Jesus.” Hebrews 2:
Faith is not looking at faith.
Faith is looking at Jesus.
The Creator.
The Sustainer.
The One who upholds all things by the word of His power.
The One whom the wind and sea obey.
So perhaps the question is not first:
How strong is my faith?
But:
Who is my faith in?
Look at Jesus.
Listen to Jesus.
Trust Jesus.
Prayer
O Lord, when the waters are calm and when the storms come,
help me not to sway, doubt, or fear.
Remind me that You are near.
Help me to call upon You,
believing and trusting in You, Jesus.
Amen.
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