Mark 4:35-41
Gospel according to Mark 4:35-41
When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took Jesus with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was dead calm. Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Reflections
When the evening came, Jesus and the disciples were tired. They had been with people the whole day and they needed a rest. The evening was balmy and hot, with a gentle breeze, and a beautiful sunset. Jesus suggested to get into their boats and to go across to the other side of the lake. This would have been smooth sailing with expert hands at the helm, so the disciples welcomed the idea. They were familiar with the lake as with the palm of their hands. They lived on the shores of Lake Galilee most of their lives and made a living out of fishing. If any of them suspected a tempest, thy would have said it to Jesus and he would not have proposed that they cross. But as it was, a gorgeous and calm evening, with a few stars just starting to twinkle, and some lights from the opposite shore becoming visible. It was an evening, perfect for sailing and reaching their direction.
They had their boats ready, and they set out immediately. The vessels could fit about fifteen men each, but there were other boats as well, so there was ample space for them to row with the sails up or relax and let the wind and the waves do the work. The Sea of Galilee has a circumference of 50 kilometers. Lengthwise, the disciples would have traveled 20.5 kilometers, and across, 15 kilometers. (1) Which makes about two hours travel by boat to reach the opposite shore. (2) In the meanwhile, Jesus arranged a makeshift bed from some covers and a cushion at the stern. Soon, the gentle rocking of the boat atop the waves lulled him to a deep sleep.
That is how they advanced for a while. The disciples quietly performed their tasks, and let the Lord have some rest. They were far away from the shore when a sudden gust of cold wind from the mountains bringing fresh air stirred onto the surface of the lake. The winds swept through the surface of the lake, pushing hot air out of its way. A full gale strength storm made the waves crash against the boat. The secure vessel became like a toy, helplessly bobbing up and down amidst the maelstrom. The disciples, desperate to keep control of their boat, pulled down the sails and let the storm take its course. They knew that in the midst of such a torrent, it was useless to attempt to navigate. All their points of reference on the horizon were lost. They struggled from moment to moment to keep afloat. The waves reached the gunnels and splashed inside the boat. It was quickly filling up with water. In their tumultuous fright, they frantically called to Jesus, who awoke from his sleep. They told him that they were all about to perish.
Jesus, looking at the storm, commanded the waters and the wind to calm down. Immediately, it did. It was an eerie calm, as if nothing had happened. The clouds parted. The wind stopped hauling. The waves settled down. The moon and the stars shone again. The opposite shore just ahead of them. Jesus turned to them and questioned them, as if asking them, “Are you all OK?” and reassured them to have faith. The disciples looked at each other and they were in awe.
What does this brief, but poignant scene convey?
The boat is a symbol of advancing toward a goal. While there is no strife or danger, the vessel is in safe hands. Like a person who is in control of themselves: They take calculated risks and know their limits. Nothing stirs them up as long as they are in charge of the situation. However, staying calm and composed is not always easy. How many times when one does not think that something difficult may happen, the unexpected occurs. Accidents, illnesses, unforeseen difficulties, obstacles, and challenges. How many times in these situations it may feel as if we had miscalculated something, as if we had missed something as if we contributed to our own downfall. --Stirred up emotions, repeating images, traumas, memories may overwhelm us. Tortuous thoughts, fears and emotions may overpower our calm and make us confused or disturbed. Usually, it is suffering in some form that makes us question the direction or the meaning of our lives.
The disciples reacted immediately to the storm, they took measures to control the damage, and to save what could be saved. But their efforts were not enough. Nature seemed to prevail over their strength. Despite doing all what seasoned mariners would do, the boat was tossed here and there without an aim, completely at the mercy of the waves.
All of the sudden, like the disciples struggling to keep their boat afloat, we may realize that we are not unsinkable. We are vulnerable, fallible, or finite human beings. How much our smallness and littleness contrast with God’s power and might! These dialectics between the small and the great, the finite and the infinite, the weak and the powerful, make us ponder the meaning of our lives.
The middle of the lake is the most dangerous spot. The depths are great, and the distances are considerable. There is no help, there is no assistance that can come at that point, until the storm calms down, even to make a rescue possible. Looking in front of us, seeing the immediate may seem scary and intimidating with no secure port or mooring place in sight. In the turmoil of life, how much we long for safety and belonging to something greater and stronger than ourselves.
When Jesus stood up and looked at the storm, the wind and the high seas, he commanded them like Moses did. With help from God, Moses parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites could pass through from one shore to the other on dry land. Similarly, Jesus calmed the storm so that the disciples could pass from shore to shore on calm waters. Both arrived at their destination unharmed, and glorifying God.
Jesus pointed to God as the ultimate source of trust. He chose this very emotionally intense moment to lift the disciples from seeing what was right in front of them to holding on to their spiritual anchor in God’s mercy and protection. Trusting in Providence, they were to navigate the high seas and the difficulties that may come their way.
This reading reminds us that when we do not see an ideal or a goal to advance toward, we may feel intensely distressed. It takes skill and grit to be able to cope with feelings and emotions as we let them wash over us, while we attempt to keep the course. It takes faith to develop a strong trust and connection with God that withstands the storms of life so that, even when we do not see a clear goal ahead, we can trust that God has a plan for us.
A related observation by Frankl is that the essence of a person is their spirit. (3) Nature and nurture do not have the final say. A person may be conditioned by their upbringing or their environment, but ultimately, they are not determined by it. Human beings have freedom of will to choose what to actualize and choose what they will become. Therein lies their responsibility. (3)
Body and mind are finite. Spirit is immaterial, and dynamic. Spirit can reach beyond the self to self-transcendent values (and the Transcendent). Therefore, a spiritual person can be disturbed but not destroyed. (4) Behind the mask of a disease, whether physical or psychological, the spiritual person is always present. (4) Body and mind may become ill, but spirit always remains a healthy core of the person.
The spiritual capacity to trust in God’s plan is what Jesus wanted to increase in the disciples. For the person who cries out to God, intended or unintended, this is what happens; they enter into a dialogue with God. A related observation by Frankl is that “…God is the intimate partner of our soliloquies.” (5) When God is regularly and consistently the partner of our conversations, there is a grace through which our relationship is strengthened. This is what is meant by faith: “…A belief and trust in God based on evidence but without total proof.” (6) While we live on earth, we cannot have total knowledge or understanding of God, but we can intuitively, rationally and emotionally respond to life and take a leap of faith in spirit.
This does not mean that we do not experience emotionally disturbing events, or become immune from calamities, but that when we do experience difficulties, we go through them with the belief that everything is known to God. We are not abandoned and never alone.
Whoever can find comfort in God and place their lives in the trust of the Ultimate will not be deceived, misled or let down. They will be able to complete the course and reach their destination with dignity. Whoever places their burden into the hands of God or entrusts their lives to Him will not be disappointed. Today’s good news is that God assures us that He is stronger than any earthly power. He can handle our difficulties and our pain, even when our cry is so deep that it goes, seemingly, unheard.
Suffering, if we have to suffer, can make us more aware that life in each of its facets can have a meaning. When we find meaning, which is possible to find even in suffering, the result is an inner calm and peace.
Whoever seeks, finds. Whoever asks, receives. Whoever believes will receive their reward.
In the storms of life, we find refuge in God.
References:
GMSA (2024). Lake of Galilee. https://galileemsa.org.il/
Collins, L. J. (2014). Calming of the Sea. Csun.edu
Frankl, V. E. (2014). The Will to Meaning. New York, NY: Plume.
Frankl, V. E. (2019). The Doctor and the Soul. From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy. New York, NY: Vintage Books.
Frankl, V. E. (2018). Psychotherapie, Psychiatrie und Religion. Über das Grenzgebiet zwischen Seelenheilkunde und Glauben. [Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Religion. About the boundary between therapy and belief.] Alexander Batthyány, János Vík, Karheinz Biller and Eugenio Fizzotti, editors. Vienna, Autria: Böhlau.
(6) Compassion International (2024). Christian Faith. compassion.com