“Facing the storms of life”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, March 1, 2024 Mark 4:35-41 (Forward, p. 32) CEV p. 1031
This account of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee has to be one of my favourites, and for several reasons. First off, we all encounter storms in life, some of which seem to arise suddenly and without warning, just as this one did. And so, we feel quite ‘in the same boat’ (no pun intended) as these folks on that fateful day.
Secondly, these storms sometimes come up precisely when we are doing our best to follow God’s orders, just as the disciples did on this occasion. If you are like me, you figure that it should be ‘smooth sailing’ when we obey. But sadly, unfortunately, this is not always the case. In fact, sometimes it is just the opposite: our obedience prompts an adverse reaction, often from those made uncomfortable by it.
Thirdly, sometimes God (Jesus) seems oblivious to our situation, asleep as it were, and so, like the disciples, were are quite upset by it. But in today’s episode, if the disciples were at risk, then so was Jesus. And, somehow He was not at all concerned. He was able to consign Himself to the loving care of God, fully trusting that God would take care of Him.
Fourthly, we see that the disciples, even though worried, upset and probably angry to boot, could still go to Jesus and implore Him to help them—a good model for all of us.
And one last thing that Mark mentions that neither Matthew or Luke do is that there were other boats with them, other boats that followed along. So, apparently, they would have been caught up in that same storm. Likewise, when the disciples called on Jesus to help out and He calmed the storm, the storm would have been stilled for them as well. And so, their faith, even if worn thin, and even if not quite from the ‘purest’ of motives (anger, etc.), had an impact on people in the community far beyond just themselves. And so it is for us: our obedience, our trust, and our prayers have a far larger impact than we would ever imagine.
Forward notes: “A great windstorm a rose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped’ (verse 8).
Commemoration: David of Wales
“Even though Mark tells us that other boats were alongside them, the disciples are terrified of crossing the eight-mile stretch of the Sea of Galilee. Interestingly enough, today’s saint, David of Wales, decided in the sixth century to embark on a 6,000-miles round-trip to Jerusalem. Back home, he had already witnessed atrocious acts of warfare on the isle of Great Britain, and so the tempestuous voyage by sea must have been worth all the glory of arriving in the Holy Land. No matter how many storms he endured, the deep peace of Jesus calmed every storm imaginable.
“We live in a world of endless change. Storms rage, and uncertainty is everywhere. Yet, Jesus sleeps in the boat. God is truly in control, but how do we have that same deep peace that abides in the heart of Jesus? If we had it, imagine how well we could rest, no matter what life might throw at us.”
Moving Forward: “Are you in the midst of a great storm? Take comfort in the arms of Jesus.”