Mark 4:35-41 35And he said to them on that day when evening had come, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And after leaving the crowd, they took him along since he was in the boat, and other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?” 39And after he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40And he said to them, “Why are you so cowardly? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were afraid with a great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
The next story is an acted parable with a message about discipleship. This is the first of a series of stories that highlight the power of Jesus and shows him as the “Son of God” (1:1). Just as God parted the Red Sea (Psalm 106:6-12), so Jesus calmed the raging sea (see Psalm 107:29). The story has all the elements of a narrative, with several layers of plot and conflict. The conflict between the disciples’ fear and the raging lake is resolved with a quick word from Jesus. But at a deeper level, the conflict of the disciples’ misunderstanding of Jesus remains and grows at the end of the story. This deep level of the plot is not resolved until after Jesus’ resurrection.
Jesus had just finished an exhausting day of teaching and wanted to get away from the crowd. Looking back to verse 1, he was likely still in the boat, so the disciples set off for the other side of the lake. The Sea of Galilee was known for its sudden, violent storms, which were extremely dangerous for anyone caught out in them in the small fishing boats of the area. Seas and storms brought terror to many ancient people. Some of the disciples were experienced fishermen and knew the dangers of such storms, but others were not and would have been even more terrified at what was happening. As the wind picked up and the waves began to swell, and the boat started filling with water. The small armada was on its own. The disciples were utterly helpless and out of control.
Two different words for “fear” are used in this passage, showing two different types of fear. Each type of fear had a consequence. The first was fear of the circumstances (verse 40). Jesus’ questions, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?” give the perspective of the disciples. The word for afraid (deiloi) can mean “cowardice” or “timidity.” The word is used in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.” This relatively rare word is always used in a negative sense, similar to being cowardly (Revelation 21:8).
Why were the disciples cowardly, and what caused their fear? They said to Jesus, “Do you not care?” This type of fear results from not knowing who Jesus is. The disciples were not exempt from the storms of life just because they were following Jesus. They were relying on their own understanding and did not know Jesus. Their faith was weak. They were cowards because of their unbelief.
We become cowards when we discover the limits of our own abilities and understandings. We become afraid when we are confronted with the unknown or uncontrollable. As long as we are in control and secure in ourselves, we will not be afraid. We think we have no need for God. The disciples had not yet realized their dependency on Jesus. Jesus may have fallen asleep during this great wind storm so that he could teach his disciples the need to trust in him. Their faith was weak, and they had the wrong type of fear.
A different word for fear (phobon) is used in verse 41: “they feared a great fear.” This verse gives us Jesus’ perspective. The disciples were afraid of what they saw Jesus do. They were witnessing a power like they had never seen before. They needed to replace their cowardice fear with reverent fear that comes in knowing Jesus. The fear, reverence, and awe of God begin the journey of the cross. The early church lived “in the fear of the Lord” (Acts 9:31). The right kind of fear leads to the obedience of holiness.
Storms offer opportunities for our faith to grow (James 1:2-4). Jesus asks, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” When we are filled with fear and ask the question, “Lord, don’t you care about my situation?” He always responds, “Have you no faith?” Faith drives out fear. When we trust God, we have no reason to fear because we know that as long as we are in God’s hands, we are safe.
The disciples did not ask the “how” question: “How did he do that?” Instead, they asked the “who” question: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” This story is not about what Jesus did but who he is. By this point in Mark’s gospel, the crowds were pressing in on Jesus. They followed him for various reasons. But why were the disciples following him? Did they really understand who he was? Their response is the natural human response to trouble: God, do you not care? Jesus’ words in verse 39 are what we need to hear: “Peace! Be still!”
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