Fear and Faith: Part II, "Christ in the Storm"

The disciples' boat felt tiny amidst the devastating storm. Many of them had grown up as sailors and had doubtless experienced the terror of the sea, but this storm was different. The winds burst with incredible velocity and the waves were breaking into the boat. It was filling up with water and the disciples knew that it was only a matter of time until they were engulfed in the dreadful abyss of the sea. Darkness clouded their minds. Fear gripped their hearts. In desperation they looked for Jesus. Despite the rising tempests, they found their Teacher in the stern, sound asleep on a cushion. "They woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?'" They must have been wondering how he could have abandoned them in such a trivial moment.

Then Jesus "awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Then he turned to his disciples and asked, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 

What if Jesus had asked why they were so afraid before he calmed the storm? Their response probably would have beens somethings like "Why do you ask us why we are so afraid? The sheer impact of those waves are the most powerful force we have ever experienced. Why wouldn't we be afraid? We have every reason to fear, our lives are at stake." 

By standing up and calming the storm, Jesus answered their question. "This storm is not the most powerful force you've ever encountered. I am. Let me show you the power and authority that I exercise over my creation and you will no longer be afraid of the wind and waves" (not in the Bible). Jesus is that force with which none greater can be conceived. In 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?'" 

As created beings, fear is part of our nature. We will always be afraid of something because their will always be something greater than us. However, I think that it is wrong to be afraid of something less than God. He alone is worthy of our fear. Hopefully, the upcoming blogs will help us to see what a proper fear of God is compared to an improper one. For now, glory to God who is there in the storm! May we fear him above any other force, for he is above all things.

Mark 4:35-41