He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:39,40)

 

What did it take to awaken Jesus from his peaceful sleep? Even the winds and waves did not rouse him! His storm preparations provided him with a perfect peace–like Isaiah said, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on you’ (Isaiah 26:3). Bible teachers have over the centuries noted that even though the storm did not waken him, the cry of his terrified disciples did. 

 

When Jesus woke up, he simply stood up and spoke words that could not have been more different from the disciples’!  of peace. Jesus “rebuked the wind and spoke to the sea.” Recall that many ancient sailors believed lailaps was a storm monster–a demonic power that would devour them. Jesus’ “rebuke” of the storm was in part a reminder to the disciples that he alone was Lord of the storm–not a demonic storm monster. 

There was also a rebuke for the disciples themselves, however. Jesus said, “why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” 

 

The disciples did not understand yet who Jesus was. They did not understand his sovereign power over the visible and invisible worlds. Nor did they know what Jesus himself had learned in his earthly body: the father’s plan for peace.  How could they face the tumult of the next years if they did not know where to find peace in the lailaps?

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Jesus did not fully explain the steps to peace in this moment. He gave a simple wod overview, implied in the question: “how is it that you have no faith?” God’s plan for peace in suffering  begins, endures and ends with faith. Faith is a way of viewing the future, grounded in the past that impacts the present. Faith is how trusting relationships are formed in the crucible of adversity. Notice three dimensions of this process implied in Jesus’ rebuke: 

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Faith and Predictability of Relationships Predictability describes what we expect to happen next. It looks forward. In storms of trouble, we need trusted relationships to  be there for us. When they are, we trust them more and our faith grows. The disciples’ lack of faith failed to trust God for the future. 

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Faith and Reliability of Relationships Reliability describes what we remember has happened in the past. It looks back. In storms we rely on patterns and memories in our relationships to calm our natural uncertainties. Their lack of faith resulted from a failure to see God’s faithfulness in the past. 

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Faith and Availability of Relationships Availability is the present moment in the storm. It is where the “rubber meets the road” of predictability and reliability particularly of relationships. Why did the disciples have so much fear? Accusing Jesus of not caring meant they did not trust he was available in the present. 

To take God’s step to peace would require a relationship of trust in God the disciples never knew: predictability, reliability and availability. It was what Jesus had in his Father. It’s what you and I must have in our own storms of life. 

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Study Guide

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1. Bible teachers have over the centuries noted that _________________  ________________ the storm did not ______________________ him, the ______________  of his ______________________________  _________________________ did. 

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2. When Jesus woke up, he simply _____________________  ________  and _______________ words that could not have been more different from the disciples’!  Of _______________________

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3. God’s plan for peace in suffering  _______________________,   ________________  and _________________________ with __________________________. 

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Reflection Questions

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When considering your own relationship with God, especially in hard times, honestly describe the three factors of trust:

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How predictable do I believe God is for the future of my suffering?

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How reliable do I believe God has been in the past?

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How available do I believe God is to me for my suffering the present? 

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