Asleep In the Storm

(Mark 4:35-40) Jesus chose twelve disciples. Discipleship is a lifestyle of watching, listening and imitating the one you have pledged to follow. At evening time, after spending all day ministering to crowds, Jesus suggests to his disciples to go to the other side of the lake (v.35,36). This would not have seemed like a very big deal since the sea of Galilee is narrow enough to see all the way from one shore across to the other side. So they got into a boat and began the trek.

Then came “a great windstorm.” Panic mode! Waves are beginning to fill the boat (v.37). What are people to do in a storm? Normally, people exert themselves to their utmost in order to survive. But this is not necessarily a normal circumstance since they have all pledged to follow the Son of God. Jesus had told them the plan: we’re going to the other side. Then He proceeded to model the approach of faith by going to sleep.

After the panicked disciples woke their Master and He had calmed the elements, He asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” So it seems that, had the disciples taken their cue from Jesus, they would have lain down to sleep in the midst of the storm. It may well be that, had they have done so, that the storm would have died down in response to their faith so that Master and disciples would have been in repose.