Wednesday, October 1, 2025
On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” Mark 4:35-41
Is This Ship Going Down?
Jesus was exhausted. He had been speaking to crowds and now he and the disciples were headed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He was teaching from a boat to give some space between him and the crowd and also for good acoustics. He most likely did not go back to the shore but instead told the disciples “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” So they set out and Jesus, being tired as he was, took a power nap in the stern of the boat.
As they were crossing over, a sudden storm arose. The wind was crazy, and the water was coming over the side of the boat. But Jesus stayed asleep through it all. The disciples were afraid, and they called out to him “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” The storm did not wake Jesus up. The water sloshing over the side of the boat did not wake Jesus us. The disciples arguing did not wake Jesus up. Jesus woke up when he heard the voices of his children calling out to him in distress.
He immediately got up and rebuked the wind and the waves. This was not a calm response. This was a forceful show of his power in a new way. This miracle of nature was not as subtle as turning the water to wine and feeding the 5000. The disciples were stunned and questioned who this was that even the wind and waves obeyed him.
The disciples not only had a promise from Jesus that they would make it to the other side, but they also had God himself in the boat with them – at the stern – the place from which a boat is steered. What could give them more faith? They did not completely understand who Jesus was even though he had told them. They were still learning and when they saw the wind and waves obey him, they were terrified.
We have God with us in our lives every step of the way and we do the same thing the disciples did. So many times, we are sinking our own boat, dumping water into the boat instead of bailing it out. Circumstances pound away at our lives and water is spilling over the sides, sinking the ship, or so it appears. But Jesus is in the boat, in the stern, in full control. We still struggle with our unbelief as they did. All we have to do is surrender to him, trust him, and find peace knowing that he is in control and we are not.
Are you sinking your own boat by refusing to surrender control to an omnipotent and faithful God?
Like the disciples, do you need help with your unbelief?
