One time when Jesus and the disciples were out on the sea, “a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.”1 The disciples (some of whom were career fishermen) were afraid they were going to die. Jesus, however, “was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.”2 They woke him up and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”2
But they were not perishing. It just seemed to them that they were. Yes, there was “a great windstorm” and the boat was rocking and water was pouring in—that’s what happens during a storm. Were these guys not prepared for the storm? Maybe not. Maybe this was the worse storm they had ever seen. But it seems to me that the men panicked—which is what we often do during the storms of our lives.
Jesus never promised that if we stayed close to him there would be no storms. He told us to prepare for the storms by making sure our foundation is firm and we live our lives according to his words. (See Matthew 7:24-27) But the guys in the boat questioned whether Jesus even cared about them! That’s what we sometimes do when trouble comes our way—question God’s love for us. If God loves me then why is this happening to me? It’s a very self-centered question. It implies that the storm is only happening because of us. Is that not a narcissistic response? Believing that the world revolves around us?
So, what was Jesus’ response to this ridiculously unfounded criticism that he did not care about them? He took care of the storm. There is no storm in our lives that he cannot quiet. If God can quiet the storms, however, can he not prevent them? Of course, he can! But how are we ever going to learn to trust God until we are in a situation when we are given the choice not to? That’s one of the reasons we are not exempt from storms. It is an opportunity for our faith in God to grow, which is why one of the questions Jesus asked his disciples was “Have you still no faith?”3 Apparently, the answer was No, not much.
Jesus took care of the storm anyway because he did care that they were afraid (even though it was unfounded fear). He told the wind and the sea to be quiet. He probably wanted to tell the disciples to be quiet but instead he asked them another question: “Why are you so afraid?”3 Their response? “They were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”4
So . . . let’s recap. The men were afraid of the storm. Jesus took care of the storm. Then the men were afraid of Jesus! I wonder if Jesus rolled his eyes. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, at least they calmed down.
1Mark 4:37 2Mark 4:38 3Mark 4:40 4Mark 4:41