Mark 4:35-41 – the perfect storm
I need your help with the story of Jesus calming the storm.
The obstacle I’m facing is the story’s familiarity. You see, one of the primary ministries in Nicosia is to raise up ‘partners in the gospel’ who take the call to make disciples seriously. This is one of the first stories we look at in our training.
So possibly the only passage that I’ve taught more than this one would be Genesis 1-3.
But here’s the problem: since I use this story as an example of how Jesus made disciples, the focus is usually on Jesus and the dynamics of disciple-making. But this Sunday when teach on it I’d like to look at it from the perspective of the disciples.
- What did the disciples learn about Jesus from this story? Ok … he’s master of the universe. But what does that mean for you and me?
- How did this experience change the disciples?
- Though they were afraid in the storm, why were they ‘terribly afraid’ after Jesus calmed it?
- What’s the relationship between faith and fear?
I think that’s the direction we should go this Sunday, but your input would be appreciated.
As far as what this teaches us about discipleship, here are some things I’ve learned:
- Discipleship can happen anywhere – even in a boat in the middle of a storm.
- Discipleship isn’t just about learning how to live morally or teaching others what to believe. It’s learning to trust Jesus.
- Often God will take us beyond the point of our ability or expertise. That’s where spiritual learning happens. (Even though a few of these guys were professional fishermen, this storm was more than they could manage.)
There’s no doubt many of us are riding through some severe storms right now. What comfort or guidance does God want to give us? How can we trust him more?
Thanks for your help.
This is about fear getting in the way of discipleship.
Jesus commanded them to start a journey that they wouldn’t be able to complete without his intervention.
One commentator points out that this was the beginning of a mission – Jesus was leading them into Gentile territory (Mark 5:1-20).
On a broader scale, the disciples were learning that they were entirely unfit, unqualified, unable and under prepared for this mission. With so much of our ministry training focusing on qualifying people for ministry, it’s interesting that one of the first lessons the disciples needed was to see how unqualified they were.
I suspect the same is true for us.
Perhaps one of the greatest problems in the church today is that too many feel very qualified for ministry and so we forge ahead in our own strength, wisdom and training.
Faith and Fear – One of the definitions of fear is putting our faith in something or somone and knowing they can’t succeed. In Numbers 13-14. 12 spies had faith – 10 were fearful (because their faith was in their own abilities which they knew were incapable of taking the Promised Land); 2 were confident (had faith) because they were trusting in God to give them the land.
The account of David and Goliath is another good example. David’s brothers and the armies of Israel were afraid because Goliath was bigger than any of them. David was confident because his God was bigger than Goliath.
Good examples, Thom. Faith focuses on what God rather than humans can do. There are some real life situations I could apply that to right now … with God’s help.
What *should* the disciples have done in this case? Should they have been asleep like Jesus? Should they have commanded the waves to be still? Should they just have kept on going and let Jesus sleep knowing that all would be ok?
We’re not told, but maybe any one of those scenarios would have been appropriate. In a sense they did exercise faith by waking Jesus up. Matthew specifically says that they asked Jesus to save them.
But Jesus implies that their faith should have dispelled their fear.
To paraphrase another commentator: Jesus isn’t the Storm Maker, he’s the Peace Maker.
Just another thought or two on the relationship between faith and fear. We often look at fear as a very negative response. Looking at some of the examples cited it would seem that fear either paralizes and keeps us from doing anything or it prompts us to seek the Peace-maker. For the person without a relationship with Christ it would seem they are either paralized or they push through the fear in their own strength.
That’s true. If fear drives us to Christ, then I would assume that’s a positive and appropriate reaction.
I’m having a hard time understanding why Jesus would appear to reprimand the disciples for their fear when they came to him for help. The only thing I can see is that their fear caused them to have a distorted view of Jesus. They assumed he was sleeping because he didn’t care, when in reality he was sleeping because he was at perfect peace.
I saw on CNN this week that Obama said the deficit is keeping him up at night. I suspect Jesus is sleeping fine, though.
I had another thought related to faith and fear. Is fear an expression of a lack of faith or an undue attachment to things that are temporal. The disciples feared for their lives. If we believe, with Paul, that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, isn’t His presence better than life as we know it. Much of our fear is about losing something.
One thing many of us fear is the loss of approval. At least for me, this can make it hard to make decisions. If I make the wrong one, what will people say?
‘Does this sound as if I am trying to win human approval? No indeed! What I want is God’s approval! Am I trying to be popular with people? If I were still trying to do so, I would not be a servant of Christ.’ – Galatians 1:10
We’ve got to silence the other voices by simply giving our lives, possessions, and decisions over to God. He is sovereign over them all.