1. Jesus has asked that a boat be kept in readiness because of the large crowds and then has used the boat as a pulpit to teach in parables. Without any alteration to Jesus’ situation, Jesus and his disciples head off across the sea in that same boat. The additional boats indicate that Jesus’ followers are increasing in number.
2. All experienced the storm, the miracles, the misunderstanding, and none of them have yet come to faith. The theme of the boat holds the narrative together. Indeed, the boat is in some ways at the center of the story: will it sink or not?
3. Sea was always thought to be a place where demons reside. Mark presents the stormy sea as a place of potential chaos, caused by demonic powers. In a way that parallels Jonah’s sleeping in a boat during a storm (Jonah 1: 1-17). Jesus is comfortably asleep on a cushion and indifferent to the storm raging about them, and the dangers that threaten to sink the boat.
4. His response is to show mastery over the storm, and his use of the imperative mood to address the wind and the sea reinforces the idea that the storm is generated by demonic and chaotic powers. The result is immediate as the wind ceased, and great calm came over the waters.
5. The disciples have shown their inability to understand Jesus, and he indicates to them that he is the Lord of creation. The praise of YHWH as Lord of land and sea is recalled as Jesus rightly speaks harshly to his disciples.
All of us go through the experiences of facing different kinds of storms in our lives. We face, storms of loneliness, frustration, rejection, financial crisis, relationship crisis, betrayal, sickness, accidents etc. Very many times we think, Jesus keeps sleeping in spite of our loud cry. Jesus does sleep purposely, to see how much we really trust Him. Jesus would have still calmed the sea even if the disciples had not disturbed him; He would have even appreciated their faith if they had remained calm trusting their Master. Remaining calm would mean, praying patiently with a trust that the Lord would rescue us from storms of life in due time.
Courtesy
The Gospel of Mark – A Commentary
All of us go through the experiences of facing different kinds of storms in our lives. We face, storms of loneliness, frustration, rejection, financial crisis, relationship crisis, betrayal, sickness, accidents etc. Very many times we think, Jesus keeps sleeping in spite of our loud cry. Jesus does sleep purposely, to see how much we really trust Him. Jesus would have still calmed the sea even if the disciples had not disturbed him; He would have even appreciated their faith if they had remained calm trusting their Master. Remaining calm would mean, praying patiently with a trust that the Lord would rescue us from storms of life in due time.
Courtesy
The Gospel of Mark – A Commentary
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