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 4:35-41
In Mark chapter 4, we read a well-known story about Jesus. In the story, Jesus and the disciples are in a boat when a great storm begins. Jesus is famously asleep.
That is, until the disciples wake him up asking for help. And when they do, he calms the storm.
When we read the story, we get the feeling that the disciples only reached out to him in their greatest moment of desperation. At first, they try to handle things on their own.
We get a picture of a calm sea, but a storm is beginning to brew. The experienced fishermen decided to take matters into their own hands. Working to keep the boat upright and on course. But the wind and the waves continue to grow and are about to overtake them.
And it is at that time, they reach out to Jesus and ask for help.
But when they do, they come with such desperation that they are almost angry at Jesus. Look at the question they ask him: “Don’t you care if we drown?”
Of course, as we read, in the very moment that they take their focus off the storm and onto Jesus, He wakes up, calms the storm, and settles their hearts.
There are a lot of different life lessons we can learn from this story, not the least of which is the incredible power of Jesus. But I think the point that is sticking out to me today is this: Jesus was with them the entire time on the boat—all they needed to do was ask.
Never in the story do we find him upset that they asked him for help. He only seems to be upset that they didn’t trust him enough to ask him for help right away. They tried to handle things on their own—even to the point where they were angry that God wasn’t there! But God was there all along. They just never asked him to step in.
I don’t know what storm you are facing today. Or what storm you might be facing tomorrow. I don’t know what trial is upon you. I don’t know how hard the wind is blowing or how high the waves are growing.
But I do know one thing: Jesus is near and powerful enough to help. He’s waiting for you to ask.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being in the boat with me, even when I forget. Grant me the faith to always remember Your power and Your love. And may that help me turn to You first—always. Amen.