Daily Strength - When big questions come

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4 vs 35-41 NIV)

It was evening time and Jesus and His disciples had got into a boat. This was a familiar thing, for a group of young men who knew where they were and who knew what they were doing. Then out of nowhere a big storm. A furious squall came up and as waves broke over the side of the boat the whole group (many of them seasoned fishermen) thought they were going to drown. 

Jesus had been sleeping and he was still sleeping as the waves crashed into the boat. His disciples are panicked and exasperated, and they cry out to Him ‘Teacher, don’t you care?!’

A big question in the middle of a big storm. Jesus is there, but does He care? This story ends with a big moment that creates a final more searching question. Jesus got up, rebuked the wind, ordered the waves to be still, and suddenly all was calm. 

The Bible uses various words to describe moments like these in the gospel accounts, ‘miracles’ revealing God’s power, ‘signs’ pointing to the true identity of Jesus.

Shocked and afraid, His disciples asked one another ‘Who is this?’ Life transforming faith for these first disciples didn’t come all of a sudden, it emerged over time. Faith in Jesus. He is not far from you today. He cares and He, and He alone, is able to save.