Fear and Prayer

37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:37-40

Been in such a boat?  In one right now?  The major miracle of this event is Jesus calming the storm.  The minor one is that he was sleeping through it.  The ones who worked in boats all their lives were panicking and the ‘land-lubber’ carpenter was asleep.  Because they were very frightened, I will give disciples a pass for asking the dumbest question ever:  Jesus, “don’t you care?”  We talk about ‘teachable moments’, but for Jesus that was and is every single moment.  What lesson was Jesus setting up for the disciples in this storm?  And for us in our storm?  I’m not sure.  But I think he’s teaching that we can have confidence in God’s care even when God appears to be absent.  Sometimes God cares for us by remaining silent and seeming distant so we are forced to use the faith that has been installed in us.  Jesus cares — we have to trust.

Lord, I think you are encouraging me to grow up and trust you in the most difficult circumstances.  I need not be afraid of downing because you are always in my boat — or if it sinks, in the water with me.  Amen.

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Steve Moore