This morning I woke up REALLY early: the alarm time was 3:43AM! And wasn’t one of those glance at the alarm and roll over moments. I was WIDE awake. So I got up. That gave me a few moments to chat with Hub before he headed out for work–I like doing that. Still awake, I grabbed my Greek study materials and started working on my translation and study of Mark. I’ll be meeting with my friend this morning. We’re covering Mark 4:10-41.
One of the things that jumped out at me came close to the end of the chapter. Jesus and the disciples loaded into a boat and headed across the lake. At first there were other boats going along with them, but then a violent squall comes up. The other boats turn back, but the disciples decide to continue into the storm. They make the decision to head on–why? Jesus is asleep below deck and obviously sleeping quite soundly because the storm doesn’t wake him. But then the storm gets to be too much for the disciples and they wake Jesus frantically and rebuke him, “Don’t you even care that we’re about to perish?” AKA: What’s up with you? This is the time for one of your little miracles. Wake up and save us you sleeping slug!
How like us weak and fear-filled humans! Instead of using the wisdom and discernment that is available to us we arrogantly head on into the storms of life thinking that we can somehow weather the storm, but when we are badly battered we rebuke God for not protecting us. What? There was no reason to keep going into the storm when it would have been more prudent to turn back. I know in my own life, God provided godly individuals to direct me away from the impendinding doom but I thought that I was stronger than the storm and would be okay. The result was disasterous. And I, too, found myself asking why God let me do that, didn’t He care that my life was in shambles? How ridiculous.
When Jesus shook off his sleepiness, he stepped up and commanded the wind and waves to muzzle it! And the wind and waves IMMEDIATELY calm themselves. This was no natural and gradual slow coming calm. This was a hit-a-brick-wall-stop-it-right-now occurance, a miracle showing of Jesus’ power and dominion. So while the disciples rebuked Jesus, Jesus rebuked the storm.
So what can be learned from this? How do we apply this to our life? Can we? The way I see it, we need to really be sure that we’re being directed to head into the storm and not just arrogantly proceeding. It’s not enough to take Jesus into a storm, we have to trust that if he’s with us we’ll be ok. And if we have headed in on our own strength, we shouldn’t be blaming God for our situation. But even if it is our own doings that get us in a mess, we can turn to Him and know that he can and will bring us peace.
Faith doesn’t call us to foolishness, it enables us to trust the one who is ultimately in control.
Pot of Manna 