It wasn’t exactly the best night in the world to take a boat ride.
Yet it was the best night.
But before we get there, let’s go to earlier proceedings from the day. Jesus was teaching the people who gathered as he stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. At some point, the crowds got so large that he jumped into a boat and sat down to teach. On this day (as was standard practice), the method of choice was the parable. A sower, a lamp, a mustard seed . . . what did the kingdom of God have to do with any of these? The disciples were uncertain as well, but Jesus in private shared with them the eternal meanings of the simple stories.
As evening arrived, Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us go over to the other side” (Mark 4:35 [NIV]). With that, the group of thirteen jumped in the boat, left the crowd behind, and started for the eastern shore.
At this point, it’s important to know a little bit about the Sea of Galilee. It’s not the largest lake in the world, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in the area of geography. It’s almost 700 feet below sea level and is surrounded by hills. This means that winds can sweep in and turn the lake into a frothing, frenetic frenzy. And somewhere between the two shores, one of these frenzied storms reached the disciples’ boat.
As the passengers sat in the boat, the winds picked up and the waves began crashing higher and higher. Before long, water came crashing over the sides, terrifying the disciples—even experienced fisherman such as Peter, Andrew, James, and John (see Mark 1:16-20). In addition, we have no indication in the Bible that the disciples had any working lamps in the middle of this storm! This must’ve been a scary moment to end all scary moments—in the middle of a lake, miles from shore, in pitch darkness, while everyone gets drenched with water from all directions, praying that the storm stops before something horrific happens.
And what is Jesus doing? Is he screaming and feverishly trying to bail water out of the boat? Curiously, the Bible says this: “But he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow” (Mark 4:38a [NKJV], emphasis mine).
In the midst of the perfect storm, Jesus is asleep.
I’m sure the disciples were just as amazed as I was when I read that passage for the first time over a decade ago. He’s asleep? What? Well, he was God in the form of man, and he had been teaching and healing all day. But to be exhausted to the point where a massive storm didn’t cause him to wake up? Wow.
Now the disciples, fearful for their lives, ran to Jesus and said to him, “Master, save us!” Right?
Actually, they didn’t say that at all. Instead, they asked Jesus a question: “Master, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38b [NIV]) I think that’s a fascinating question—especially the word ‘care.’ There was questioning among the disciples about whether Jesus cared about them.
Instead of immediately answering their question, Jesus got up and in the midst of the wind and waves, showed that he was Lord over them both. The winds were rebuked. The waves received a command: “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39a [NKJV]).
Immediately, what seemed to be the scariest place in the world was now even scarier. A massive storm was reduced to nothing with only a few words, and now the Sea of Galilee was tranquil. And sitting inside the boat was God himself, asking them about their faith! No wonder the disciples were terrified! Yet in the end, the boat got to its intended destination, and Jesus’ ministry continued.
It wasn’t exactly the best night in the world to take a boat ride.
Yet it was the best night.
Stories like these have the ability of rocking us to our core and revealing who we truly are. The storms of our life will occur; nobody is exempt from these. However, God uses them to help reveal our true thoughts, intentions, and issues in a number of situations. How do we really feel about the people who have hurt us more than we’ve ever been hurt before? Can we forgive when it seems impossible to do? Who’s in control of our life: God or us?
It’s our choice about what we do with these realizations, of course. But once exposed, we must decide what to do. Do we try to handle them in our own power and strength, knowing that in the back of our mind, they will fail at some point? Do we question God as to whether he cares for us, knowing how much he cares about sparrows and lilies (hint: it’s a lot—and they’re just birds and flowers [see Matthew 6:25-29])? Do we relax and trust, knowing that the one who controls the outcome knows better than his creation? Or do we come up with another option altogether?
The way we deal with the storms of our lives—full of wind, waves, and devoid of light—can truly be times of refreshing for us if we remember who’s in the boat with us and that he cares for us. As you seek him and trust his ways more and more, may God refresh you, that you may in turn refresh others.
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“Jesus promised the disciples three things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.”
--GK Chesterton
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
--Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
