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In Monday's reading, Jesus gave us the parable of the Sower, and taught His disciples its meaning, elaborating on His use of parables. In yesterday's reading, He continued. He said to them, "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." And He said, "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 ground, 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 rest 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. 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
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. Jesus has been preaching to the multitudes. Mark's Gospel has let us know that the crowds are so great, Jesus has had to preach in a boat facing the shore, where all the people were gathered to hear Him. Another sign of great numbers of people coming to Him is His beginning use of parables in His ministry (see Wednesday's reading). Like the illustration of the Kingdom in the parables , Jesus' ministry continues to expand and grow (see yesterday's parables above, especially the parable of the Mustard Seed). Here, Mark's Gospel sends us off in yet a new direction, with the crossing of the Sea of Galilee, as Jesus is headed off toward a Gentile territory.
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. We look at the contrast here between the stormy sea, and the picture of Jesus 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. The question of the disciples indicates to us just exactly how great their fear is, and what kind of storm these experienced native Galilean fishermen feel they're dealing with! My study bible tells us, "The same Greek word (φιμόω/phimoœ) 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."
But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Some ancient manuscripts read, "Have you still no faith?" Like the great drama in this picture of the wild seas and storm, in contrast to Jesus asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat, Jesus' words are also pretty dramatic in the Greek. In an implied way, He's chastising them for a kind of cowardliness. We remember that the Greek word for faith is rooted in the word to trust.
And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" The word for fear used here is different from the one above (which implied timidity or cowardliness). The fear expressed here is a kind of healthy fear that implies awe, a response to an overwhelming awareness of great power beyond one's experience or understanding.
If we take a look at the drama in today's passage, it tells us quite a lot about our faith. Coming just after the description of the Kingdom in the parables of Jesus in yesterday's and Wednesday's readings, we understand the implications here about expansion. Jesus is leading the disciples (in several boats) into Gentile territory; this would most likely be someplace they haven't experienced across the Sea of Galilee. It's also something unusual in the context of a Jewish teacher. As the Sower, He's scattering seeds to find good ground for their growth. Like the mustard seed, we expect new branches and surprising growth; like the farmer who sowed seeds, the Creator brings growth that we can't produce by ourselves. In some sense, that growth is linked to today's text, because it implies the necessity of faith. We trust that these things will happen; it's not all in our control, but we trust to Creator and creation when we invest in our faith. Here the disciples follow Christ across the sea into unknown territory. Going again by the response of these experienced fishermen, whose home territory is the Sea of Galilee, we can just imagine what kind of storm this is. But that's a great parallel for what happens in our own lives of faith as Christ takes us into places we haven't been before. We may find ourselves crossing boundaries we wouldn't have the courage to do otherwise, or facing great storms as we deepen our faith. Internally in our psychological or emotional lives, and externally in other actions of faith, Christ may take us into territories that formed boundaries for us in the past. There are all kinds of things we may have to face or go through in the process. Sometimes our own fears form part of those boundaries He asks us to cross, that may keep us from the territory He wants us to explore with Him. That's where faith comes in. We trust in His leadership, we trust in our prayers, and we trust that wherever we go there is a way in which God is with us and wants us to go through that place. Faith isn't about playing it safe, but it is about playing it safe with God, with Christ. Christ-centeredness involves a focus on this faith, this relationship as our strength and our trust, our refuge and strong tower. At the center of this dramatic story told in a few verses is the great question asked by the disciples, "Who can this be?" The word noted above in Jesus' rebuke both to the unclean spirit in the first chapter of Mark's Gospel and here to the storm and wild sea is a word that at its root means to "muzzle." In the context of Mark's Gospel, Jesus is the stronger man who binds up the strong man of this world, the adversary. He's the One who's capable of binding up the one that seeks to bind and afflict us. He muzzles the oppressor. His truth puts an end to the lie of the enemy that holds us back and keeps us from our real freedom. In our faith journey, we'll encounter many limits. Christ will ask us to throw off all kinds of things that bind us. Fear will be a part of that journey, if your experience is anything like mine. So will a kind of confrontation where we have to make a choice, face loss and sacrifice. But let's ask the question: where is our faith? Let's remember how He put it to the disciples, and where we place our trust -- what is faith for, and what does this word faith truly mean?
