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Mark 4:35 – 41
The Best Response to Disaster

Matthew tells us that after finishing the parables and dismissing the crowds, Jesus went into the house and explained the parables to His disciples alone.  Mark agrees when he tells us that they didn't leave for the other side of the lake until evening. From this we can conclude that Jesus took all of the early afternoon - possibly as much as two or three hours - to "explain everything to His disciples." Even after all that time, though, not every member of the previous crowd had gone home.

It had indeed been a vast multitude, and many, probably hoping to see and hear more, had either returned or remained nearby. When Jesus came out of the house, He saw the stragglers, but He nevertheless  decided that He and His disciples should immediately take the boat and cross to the other side of the lake. Some of the crowd, though, not wanting to let Him get away so easily, and having anchored their own boats alongside the one from which Jesus had earlier been teaching, escorted Jesus to the other side. It's an interesting sidelight. It gives us just a little idea of the immense impression Jesus was making on the people of Galilee.

But Jesus was tired. Every member of the vast multitude had earlier demanded His undivided attention for their individual problems. And Jesus gave that attention and help to every one. He never ignored anyone. His love and concern were poured out to all, and we can safely assume that He listened very carefully to each one, sympathized with their particular sorrows, taught them, and counseled them. And all these things wee done in addition to His more public teaching. Weariness indeed! It is no wonder that Jesus lay down upon the boat cushion and slept. He trusted His Father. He was at perfect peace.

Our natural reaction to the following events would be to say, "Well, a fine way Jesus' Father treated Him! The moment He finally begins to get some much-needed rest, His Father sends a powerful storm!" But our Lord didn't think that way. When He laid His head upon the cushion, He trusted His Father completely. During His entire helplessness while asleep, He trusted his Father to care for him - and for all His concerns. He trusted Him, in other words, to care for His and His disciple's health and safety and even for the continued training of His disciples while He slept! The best possible results followed.

Those results to the events that followed are mentioned in the last verse of the chapter. Mark says, "And they were overwhelmingly afraid, and they were saying to one another, 'Who then IS this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?!'" The results of Jesus' Father's ordained storm were a spiritual awakening! 
It's the awakening we all need, an awakening that restores an attitude toward God that we all lost long ago - an attitude of awe and reverence!

The disciples were already convinced that Jesus was very special. In fact, they were convinced enough of His wonderful uniqueness to follow Him 24/7, week after week and month after month. Actually, in fact, their minds likely already contained more than enough facts about their Master. But they were about to learn something more than mere facts.  Now, finally, their hearts were going to be filled with a new realization of WHO He was - now they were to have an awe and wonder that went beyond mere facts. They would finally have at least the beginnings of an acquaintance with the GOD of the universe!

We all need such an acquaintance. It's one we can have only when the Holy Spirit of God moves in our hearts as we read or hear these accounts.

As is often true for us as well, the disciples came to this new kind of acquaintance through an experience in which God seemed to have entirely deserted them! Of course He hadn't actually deserted them, and, in fact, it was just in the seeming disaster that He was working most intensely with them.

Isn't that often the way with us? Just when everything seems to be going wrong, that's the point at which God is blessing us the most! Our problem, like that of Jesus' disciples, is lack of faith. One solution to that problem, of course, is prayer, prayer for the kind of faith our Lord Himself had as He laid His head down upon the cushion. Jesus Himself dwells in us by His Spirit, so the kind of faith He had can indeed be ours in response to that prayer! Are you ready to accept hard experiences in order to learn of Him in the same way the disciples did? We need to remember that He'll never take us through anything that He can't handle!

One additional thing we don't usually notice about this account, though, is that in the midst of seeming disaster the disciples actually did the right thing: they went to their Master. And so should we. Even though our Lord wants us to trust Him in the midst of trouble, yet He also welcomes our cry for relief. We know He's always acting in our best interests, and we know that the outcome will be blessing, but we also need to know that He loves us and welcomes us when we come with our concerns.

Our Lord didn't chide these men for rousing Him. He called them cowards, though, because that's what they were.  But they had done no wrong in crying out for help - in expressing their cowardice! And neither do we. Our faith will only be strengthened as we express to Him our faithlessness! After all, He knows our hearts anyway, so let's willingly share those hearts with Him in prayer! He may still our storm. He will always strengthen our faith.

It's just in response to that kind of prayer, a kind that expresses weakness, faithlessness, selfishness, etc., etc. - etc. . . . that He does His most important work in us! Did you think that your Lord would love you less when He saw your worst side? He's already seen it, and He doesn't love you less. No matter what you do, if you are trusting Him at all, He will always love you - as much as He did when He went to the Cross for you! Well then, dear brothers and sisters, come to Him. Express your heart to Him. He loves you.

Very well said, thank you Brother Al.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/leaveitt.htm

Thank you dear C&M!  I so much appreciate that hymn, too!  Oh how we need to learn and relearn to "leave it there!"

Pastor Al.

Thank-you, so much.

Oh to rest upon the cushions and not be afraid., I was talking to a dear sister in Christ earlier today and we were both feeling "blue" and decided that it was due to the back end of Winter.  The 'enemy' was having a go at us reminding us of past weaknesses.

You have expressed yourself  perfectly Pastor. I pray that I may be more trusting of Our Heavenly Father. Thank-you. I feel a lot better now. I know He hasn't deserted me.  It is time for something new...You have confirmed that He will use this situation. i.e."Seeming disaster....He is working more intently"...

I pray for a fresh anointing for me and dear sister Marilyn., for a lifting of our Spirits...Godward! Amen!

Love Jenny.