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On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
- Mark 4:35-41
In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught: "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Then He taught in parables: "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the round, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade." And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. Here, Jesus directs that His ministry set out in a new direction. To cross over to the other side of the sea (of Galilee) is to cross into Gentile territory. So far, He has spent His ministry in Israel (among the "people of God"), and it has spread to the Jewish establishment in Jerusalem, so that they are aware of what He is doing, and at this point seek to find something with which to accuse Him. We know of His great fame, reflected perhaps in the "other little boats" that were also with Him.
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. Here's something interesting, an obstacle in the way of His ministry. We take from this a lesson, that even if we are doing what God wants us to do, nature will not necessarily automatically cooperate -- it's not so that we won't find obstacles for one reason or another. And then, there is Christ, asleep in the stern on a pillow. We observe that He takes His rest where and when He can, and also His great calm in the midst of the storm!
And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" His disciples awaken Him. They are not calm, at all! They think they're all perishing. My study bible points out that "the same Greek word (φιμόω) by which Jesus commands the storm to be still is used for His telling the demon to 'be quiet' in 1:25. As Lord of all, He commands all. In obedience, the storm subsides instantly and fully." The root of this word is "muzzle" so Jesus is truly showing who's in command by His expression of ordering silence and calm. But another rebuke is in store for the disciples: "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"
And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" The Greek word for "fear" in this sentence is different from the one which Jesus used when He asked them, "Why are you so fearful?" In Jesus' question, the word means also cowardly, and it implies a lack of trust (the real root of the word for faith). In the word for fear here (as in "they feared exceedingly") is also the meaning of dread or reverence, and it can imply a kind of holy fear or even terror as if one is coming to terms with something awe-provoking and astounding that has been revealed.
In this boat on the sea, Jesus' identity begins to be revealed more strongly to His disciples. This is in this sense a private moment on the sea. They've left the crowds behind, and the followers are those in the little boats with them. Here, He's with the ones whom He's chosen so that they spend all their time with Him. The obstacle -- the chaos and violence of the storm -- works to teach them something. What inspires dread, awe and fear in them is the revelation of His great power, and the wonder of just who He really might be. This is something new, a manifestation of something beyond what they've known or understood. And we have to recall to ourselves the newness in this moment. There's also something reciprocal in this encounter, and that is the mutual astonishment of Jesus and the disciples. They are awe-struck by the power revealed in Christ even over wind and waves. But He, first, is astonished by their lack of faith, of trust. We go back to yesterday's parable about the mustard seed, and recall that in Luke's Gospel, Jesus will refer to the power in faith even the size of a (tiny) mustard seed. So here, in some sense, we have a mutual surprise: at the power of this man, Jesus, who reveals His divine capacities, and at the disciples, whose faith seems to be so small. It's an interesting encounter between the human and the divine, one in which we come to know ourselves better, and also the power that Christ brings into the world. I'm always astonished at what a little faith can do, and really, as to how little faith (and how much cowardice) I truly must have sometimes. It's a lesson to us about obstacles, and perseverance, and also about trust. We turn and turn again to Christ, we learn from our experience, and (hopefully!) grow in our faith.
