For Jesus, this is a day of both significant teaching, including the seven parables of Matthew 13, and considerable testing. It's strange, though, that they don't understand who he is. It is possible to raise in regard to this incident the same queries made about Jesus’ vision at the Jordan and about his healings and exorcisms. It is a short sermon, only about 12 minutes in length. "Crossing to the other side with Jesus may be a risky, unpredictable proposition, and in this passage, the wind and the sea create a visual manifestation of the dangers of being in the boat with him." Here Jesus is sleeping because the story of Jonah has him sleeping down in the ship. Now we’re in a place where we can see what Jesus’ disciples are made of. In this incident, the disciples and Jesus moved away from the shoreline, and put out over the water. So ostensibly, had he not stopped the storm they would have made it across just fine. Jesus Walks on Water: Faith During a Storm (Mark 6:45-52), Jesus Walks on Water Bible Story Study Guide, Jesus Punishes the Swine With Demons (Mark 5:10-20), The Syro-Phoenician Woman's Faith in Jesus (Mark 7:24-30), The Woman Who Touched Jesus' Garment (Mark 5:21-34), Jesus Heals Jairus' Daughter (Mark 5:35-43), Saint Patrick's Friendship with His Guardian Angel, Victor, Jesus Heals a Blind Man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26), Relive the Resurrection Story of Jesus Christ. God made the escape possible by means of a strong wind that blew all night and dried the seabed, so enabling the Hebrew people to cross dry-shod and safe. Alternate First Reading. Some years ago I was on a flight from Puerto Allegre in the far south of Brazil to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Be silenced!”. Did it really happen? • Mark 4:35-36: The starting point: “Let us cross over to the other side”. You remember that in this section of Mark we are dealing with a theme which Mark emphasizes in several incidents -- the effects of popularity upon the ministry of Jesus. The other theme would be the intriguing question about the identity of Jesus: Who then is this? They were familiar with the sea of Galilee. The attitudes of Christians, who accept the mystery that Jesus was equally human as divine, will fall somewhere along a spectrum. on this passage. “Teacher, does it not concern you that we are sinking?”, and said to the sea, “Be calmed! During the journey, Jesus’ disciples seemed unable to see anything clearly. The advent of the Kingdom, as well as something of its nature and its potential, had been introduced and briefly pondered. At the beginning of the journey, Jesus healed a blind man whose “sight was restored, and (he) saw everyone clearly” (8:22-26). An outcome of this production was the New Testament for English Readers (4 vols. The disciples are traveling with Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. First Reading. He would present the listener with the Jesus who rebuked the wind and calmed the sea. Some thoughts on today's scripture. Jesus’ prime focus of mission had been his own Jewish compatriots. ), all the birds of the air can find shelter in its shade; where, despite the apparent inadequacy of resources, the harvest is capable of the thirty, sixty, hundredfold. Its truth had no other criterion than its resonance, beyond projection, with the deepest inner core of each person. Second, if you act like Jesus and simply command the chaos to "be still," then you will at least achieve some inner sense of peace and thus be less troubled by what is occurring. He apparently saw a response of panic as a lack of faith. God’s speech from the whirlwind to Job has been a long time coming. Why were you so frightened? Two miracles of Jesus Christ recorded in Scripture tell of Him calming storms on the Sea of Galilee. 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. If so, he succeeded because they appear to be just as afraid of him now as they were moments ago of the storm. How did the disciples react to this storm? (They were fisherman: 1:16-19.) In the midst of the Christian storm, Jesus seemed to be absent, asleep, certainly giving no clear direction. Mark 4:35-41. Let's read verses 35-41. Mark 4:35-41 Commentary by James Boyce “On that day.” The phrase is so brief the reader could almost ignore it. Commentary on Mark 4:35-41. Jesus responded negatively to the disciples’ panic. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Mark 4:35-41 . They had overcome many storms before. The "sea" being crossed by Jesus and his followers is the Sea of Galilee, so the area they are moving on to would be the present-day Jordan. At the same time, Mark would develop two further themes, as the narrative would immediately indicate: One theme would be the disciples’ continuing struggle to faith, their inner journey from initial fascination and response to deeper insight and commitment. He was in the stern asleep on the cushion. Chapter 4 opens with a series of parables (the sower, the lamp and the bushel basket, the growing seed, and the mustard seed). Actually, this short transition is vastly important for setting the stage for this familiar story of the stilling of the storm. Jesus had spent the entire day teaching by the use of parables. This other shore was unknown territory, pagan territory. I was sitting in the middle seat of the bulkhead row between a missionary buddy of mine and a woman who seemed to want nothing to do with a gringo and who sat as far away from me as she could. A. When a violent storm threatens to destroy the boat and its inhabitants, Jesus somehow manages to remain “asleep on the cushion.” It would be the product of a never-ending conversion. June 21, 2009. Default. Mark seldom dates his incidents, but he takes pains to tell us that this run across the lake closed a day of labour, Jesus was wearied, and felt the need of rest, He had been pressed on all day by ‘a very great multitude,’ and felt the need of solitude. Let's read the account of a severe storm on the Sea of Galilee. How is it you have no faith? Text: Mark 4:35-41. Gospel. Mark 4:35-41 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. 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