Jesus, the Calm in the Eye of the Storm

In the Gospel of Mark, we have the following recorded: 35. On that day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36. And leaving the crowd, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. 37. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" 39. And He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" 41. And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?" (Mark 4:35-41)

Who was He, indeed? In my opinion, there is no other passage of Scripture that depicts the duality of the nature of Jesus Christ than our reading above. In it we see Jesus Son of man, exhausted from the day’s activities, fast asleep in the stern of the boat, in such deep and restful repose that even the rain pouring down upon His face did not awaken Him, totally oblivious to the wind and the waves lashing and rocking the tiny ship as the storm raged all about Him. Who could blame His disciples for their fear? Who would not have been anxious and full of trepidation as the swelling waves lifted and heaved the small boat up and down in the rampant torrent? Which one of us would have acted in any other way than these men did, quaking with trembling terror as nature’s onslaught unleashed its fury upon them? So they took the only course left available to them: They rushed towards their Master, shaking Him and awaking Him out of His much needed slumber, and pleaded for Him to do something! But just as soon as the Master awakened, we see Jesus Son of God emerge, a serenity and a coolness about Him as the Lord gazed benignly upon the frightened countenances imploring Him in desperation. He remained a literal calm in the face of the storm, and Jesus quietly said, "Peace! Be still!" Immediately, the wind and the waves ceased their violence, and the imminent trepidation which had filled the disciples with such fear departed, vanquished by the power that could only come from One Who truly was and is Immanuel, God with us.

Oh, how Peter must have learned his lesson well that evening as he listened to the soft rebuke of His Master say so lovingly, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" I cannot but believe that as Peter would later write in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you,” his thoughts went back to that very moment as he looked to His Lord and pleaded, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" I can envision a smile unfolding upon his creased and lined with age face as Peter thought back upon that younger, but foolish man he used to be, who understood now that His Teacher was in essence telling him and the other disciples, “What have you to fear? I am with you, and you are in the presence of God. What more do you need?”

May the Lord bless and calm you during the storms of your life!