“He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?””
Mark 4:40
Sisters in Christ,
We are into the second quarter of the year! Although it’s only April, many changes and new seasons can start to take place. It’s a great time to stop and smell the new blooms and to get ready to finish up the school year. For some, the end of the school year is the kickoff to an awesome and carefree summer. To others, it might signal graduation and the start of a whole new chapter of life. Changes in seasons are usually catalysts of stress, anxiety, and even fear, but looking through Mark 4, we get a glimpse of how God used a swell of change to build up faith.
The “furious squall” of Mark 4:37 was unanticipated. Jesus and the disciples had recently finished sharing parables of the kingdom with the crowds, and after Jesus’ order to “go over to the other side”, they set out on some boats. I’m wondering if they were looking to have a nice, quiet, easy sail over to the other side (no walking, no crowds, possibly some nap time). Instead, they were in over their heads with waves and nearly swamped (Mk 4:37).
How similar does this sound to the changes of seasons in our lives? We might look to a change of pace as a break to relax, but somehow, we find ourselves in over our heads or crashed down by the waves of pressures. Of course, we know that in this passage, Jesus wakes from His nap after the disciples cry out to Him and proceeds to rebuke the wind and waves (Mk 4:38-39). Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, and they immediately calmed and obeyed His command. The very next verse, we see Jesusaddress “his disciples” in a more loving way as He asks them “Why are you so afraid?”.
Did any specific fear come to mind when you read the words of Jesus above: “Why are you so afraid?” The disciples feared for their lives, but we often fear the unknowns and the “what-ifs”. Jesus was caring for their very hearts as he asked that question. Beyond the transition from one side of the lake to the other side, even beyond the change from a raging storm to calm seas, was the transformation of these disciples’ faith and understanding of who Jesus truly was. Jesus revealed Himself as God, the One whom the wind and waves obey. Through God carrying them and caring for them during the journeys, their faith was shaken alive. These moments increased their understanding of the Jesus who saves, the Jesus who can be trusted, the Jesus who hears and answers, and even the Jesus who is our Peace in every storm. Let’s pray that He would increase our faith and open our eyes to trust Him throughout every step of our lives, knowing that He opens the eyes of blind men “according to your faith” (Mat 9:29).
In His grace,
Jaime Angel