They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” [Mark 4:41 NIV]
[Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash.]
This is the first of four miracles recorded one after the other. The Sea of Galilee is normally very calm but there can be sudden storms which can be destructive and frightening. This can be explained by the geography of the area. The Sea of Galilee is liable to sudden squalls because of its position in a deep basin, skirted on the east by lofty mountain ranges, while on the west the hills are intersected by narrow gorges through which the wind sweeps across the lake and raises its waters rapidly into a storm.
The disciples were taken by surprise by this storm. It was completely unexpected and it was exceptionally fierce. But should they have been taken by surprise. They were not tourists. They were local men and they were fishermen. So they should have been aware that storms can occur on the lake and it should not have taken them by surprise.
It was a particularly fierce storm as the text indicates.
It was described as a 'furious squall' [NIV] or 'a great windstorm of hurricane proportions [Wuest]
The 'waves kept on beating into the boat' [Wuest]
'Already it (the boat) was being filled.'
They had the Son of God with them in the boat and he had made a commitment to them that they would reach the other side of the lake when he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side"[Mark 4:35]. So it is clear that they were going to arrive at their destination. Jesus knew that there was a man who needed his help and so there was no chance that they would not arrive at their destination. But Jesus is asleep and does not seem to be aware of the crisis. At least that is how the disciples perceived it. They unjustly accused him of not caring for them. They woke him up and blurted out to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown."
And there are many times when we have been in that same position as these disciples. We cannot make sense of what is happening to us. We feel helpless and we feel deserted by God. We may even secretly accuse our heavenly Father of not caring for us. We are so often like these disciples in our lack of faith. We are so wrapped up in experiences that we fail to grasp who Jesus is and we forget His promises to be with us and to guard and keep us.
Look at the question the disciples asked each other, "Who is this?" I am not sure where the emphasis should go - on the 'who,' the 'is' or the 'this?' I have tried saying it to myself placing the emphasis on the three different words. The point is that they were amazed at the miraculous instantaneous transformation which their Master accomplished. They found it hard to believe that it was possible for the ferocious storm to be stilled at just one command from the lips of the Son of God. Mark is fond of telling us of the impact that the miracles of Jesus had on those who witnessed them. The point is that they should not have been amazed. He had already performed miracles and they knew who he was and that he was capable of performing amazing deeds. However, there is another way of looking at this. Even though we know that Jesus is powerful and can work miracles, when we see one in action it causes us to worship and that is bringing glory to God.
But before we are too ready to condemn the disciples, here is my take on this. We are often surprised when a storm hits our sunshine-filled lives. We even feel resentment that it is happening to us. We are entitled to a life free from suffering and think it is unfair when things go awry and we are faced with opposition or trials or suffering. They were perfectly safe in that boat despite the ferocity of the storm, because Jesus was present with them. This reminds me of an old chorus - "Oh not another one," I can hear you groan!
With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm
Smile at the storm; smile at the storm
With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm
As we go sailing home.
There was no way that vessel could sink because Jesus was in the vessel - the fishing boat in the midst of a fierce storm. We need to believe that we are in God's hands and that we are secure in Him. Only one word from the Son of God is all that is required to transform the situation completely.
I’m reminded of a quotation by Corrie Ten Boom - “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.” And that was the situation the disciples were in that day in the boat. Christ was all that they had in the midst of this storm that they suddenly found themselves in.