Mark 4:35-40 – ‘On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.
And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”‘ (NASB)
Jesus and His disciples had just had a long day of teaching and healing. It was evening now, and the disciples received their next set of instructions: ‘Let’s go over to the other side.’ And so in obedience, this weary band of Gospel purveyors rally around their Lord and help him into the boat.
I don’t need to explain further what happens as the text clearly speaks for itself; what I would like us to consider is the disciples’ response to the predicament they found themselves in.
While having a look at the parallel accounts by the Gospel writers, there is an escalation in the response recorded:
One is a statement of fact: ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ (Luke 8:24),
One is a plea for help: ‘Save us Lord; we are perishing!’ (Matt. 8:25),
And one is a question of Jesus’s compassion and regard for their wellbeing: ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”‘ (Mark 4:38b)
Of course, all three of these responses point to the same conclusion, “We are in trouble; we need Your help!”
There are two points I would like to gleam from this account, if you will permit me.
1. The Master’s Responsibility for His People
It is interesting to note that in all three of these, the disciples are recorded to acknowledge Jesus’s authority and responsibility—at least towards them. He was their Teacher, their Master, their Lord; He had called them and charged them to forsake all else in comparison, and often spoke lofty words about Himself and His care for His own (eg John 10:11-15). They now called upon Him to own up to this responsibility and save them. While their lack of faith is brought into question, I daresay that their loyalty or submission to Him wasn’t (at this point in time, anyway), and neither was their obedience, for they found themselves in their predicament precisely because they obeyed His instruction.
With so many examples of those who underwent harsh and fierce trials due to their submission and obedience to God, I think we can conclude that being in the will of God does not exempt us from challenges. However, with so many examples of those who underwent harsh and fierce trials due to their submission and obedience to God, I think we can conclude that, seeing their end, being in the will of God is the best place to be.
The response of the disciples, amidst other things, reminds (and challenges) me never to forget God’s lordship over me. Being in a trial or temptation does not change the fact that, indeed, ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.’ (Gal. 2:20, NKJV) And not only this, but Jesus’s reprimanding of His disciples for their lack of faith and Him exhibiting His lordship over the elements reminds me that He is not only sovereign over me, but over everything! Paul refers to Him as ‘He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords’ (1 Tim. 6:15, NASB). Jesus in this incident shows that ‘in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form’ (Col. 2:9), for He embodies the very thing that the Psalmist wrote about God years before His coming:
‘By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea;
Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might;
Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.
They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.’ (Ps. 65:5-8, NASB)
There are bounties of promises given by God to His people, and if this God I serve is indeed good and indeed sovereign over all, I can trust that this Master of mine is indeed willing and indeed able to bear His responsibility towards His people.
‘For the LORD will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.’ (Ps. 94:14, NASB)
2. Jesus Was With Them in the Boat
This is a point that cannot be overstated and could probably be dissected in several ways, but let’s keep it simple: He was there with them. In the midst of the thundering of the storms and the threatening of the seas, He was with His people. Here I find a physical analogy for the current affairs of God’s people. Upon coming to Christ by faith, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God, and as a seal/pledge/promise of the fulfillment of His salvation, the believer is in-dwelt by God’s Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14)—interceding (Rom. 8:26), sanctifying (1 Pet. 1:2), enlightening (John 14:25-26), and empowering His people (Eph. 3:14-16).
He is with them, even when He seems asleep or unaware. He is with them, even when He seems inattentive or slow. He works all things out according to the perfect counsel of His divine will (Eph. 1:11), and God is never late for an appointment.
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isa. 41:10, NASB)
What does this all mean for me?
Well, if you are not a believer in Christ Jesus, I would encourage you to taste and see the goodness of my God. Yes, He is the only One that can fill the void in our hearts and the longing of our souls, but make no mistake; He isn’t made for us (for He is the only Eternal and Sovereign One), but rather, we were made for Him.
I could try and list numerous reasons why I think you should believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, but other than the salvation of your soul from the judgment to come, all I can say is ‘blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence’ (Jer. 17:7, NLT), and if you make the LORD your hope and confidence, I am sure you will find this statement to be true for you, too.
If you are a child of God, then it means that you can be encouraged in the truth that your Master cares for you and is with you in any and all trials you face. And not only is He with you, but He is sovereign over it all; no mountain you climb is stronger than His arm to save you, and no valley or pit is deeper than the depths of His love for His people.
If you are in trouble, call out to Him. If you despair, cry out to Him. Seek His incomprehensible peace that guards the minds of those who trust in Him (Isa. 26:3; Phil. 4:6-8), all the while resting in the assurance that whether you are threatened by storms or sickness, in whatever season you sail your vessel, you are upheld by your Master’s providence.
‘“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
“With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”’ (Ps. 91:14-16, NASB)
