Day 12 : Mark 4:35-41
Why are you so afraid?
The miraculous story of Jesus calming the storm is significant for two reasons. First of all, it is the first time that we see Jesus performing a miracle where power over nature is displayed. The people of the time did not understand weather in the way we do today and believed that it was controlled by God. So, in performing this miracle, Jesus is doing something only God could do, which is why the disciples were afraid in verse 41. Here, Jesus and Mark, are giving us a clue as to who Jesus is; he is God!
The second reason that it is significant, is revealed in the words that Jesus speaks. It seems that what he wants the disciples to learn from this frightening experience isn’t that he is powerful enough to control nature, but rather it is to trust him more – even in the midst of a raging storm.
We all know the feeling of living through a storm. We regularly encounter storms of worry, doubt, anxiety, fear, questions, regret… to name but a few. Storms can rage within us as much as in the circumstances of our lives. Often it is the inner storms that bring us the most anguish and suffering as they affect our minds and can dim our view of the world and ourselves.
Sometimes we want Jesus to sort out our problems for us, or to calm the raging storms of life, but it seems that what he wants us to learn is to trust him in the midst of the storm and know the inner peace that being in his presence brings. When our boat feels tossed about by the storms of life then we need to remember that Jesus is right there in the boat with us and he hears us when we cry out.
