That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
- Mark 4:35-41
This is a passage that I have been thinking about over the last few weeks. It may not seem to go with Good Friday. You might expect one of the passages that details Jesus’ suffering on the cross or his final words that he spoke to those standing and watching. But read those verses, pause, listen, and dwell on how God might be speaking to your condition on this Good Friday.
As I read those verses I can’t help but relate to the plea of those on board that sinking ship, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing!” Have you ever been there? Are you there now? What is Jesus’ response to their cry? He doesn’t explain to them that he does in fact love them more than they know. He doesn’t talk to them about all the ways that he has bailed them out before. He simply gets up and shows them just how much he cares about their current condition. He is willing to break the rules of science and nature in order to make his case of the extent of his love. When the disciples woke him from his sleep, they probably had in mind him picking up a bucket and helping to bail the water out of the ship. But is that what he does? No, instead he does something that they had no idea he could do.
Does Jesus care about you? He showed you the fullest extent of his care and compassion on the cross. An act of mercy that rescued you from the strongholds of sin and death. That brought freedom and life. Calmness to the storm.
Here’s the thing: Jesus seems to be a little annoyed with the faith (or lack thereof) of the disciples. His words are pretty cutting. “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith.” What if Jesus wasn’t annoyed that their lack of faith caused them to come running to wake him up? That’s what I used to think about this passage. Jesus is upset that they woke him up from his sleep. They should have had faith that they would be fine in the midst of the storm. What if that’s not the case. What if he was actually annoyed that they didn’t come running to wake him up sooner? How often do we get comfortable in the frantic hurriedness of trying to solve our own problems rather than rushing to the Prince of Peace? The creator of the wind and waves is in the boat and there the disciples are with their buckets, struggling.
Jesus has paid it all on the cross. Stop trying to earn what has been freely given. Stop trying to show him how worthy you are of his grace. He can’t love you any more and he won’t love you any less. You have a decision to make. The disciples did too. After this great miracle, they look at one another and ask, “Who then is this?”
How is God speaking to your condition through the story in Scripture of Jesus calming the storm? Leave a comment below.
-Pastor Tyler Lemen
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Friends Community Church
Click here to watch tonight’s Good Friday service, and click here to invite your friends and loved ones to join in with us as we celebrate new life this weekend.