Gospel MK 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his
disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus
with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent
squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already
filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said
to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked
the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was
great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have
faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is
this whom even wind and sea obey?”
We all are
familiar with stormy weather and the kind of destruction of lives and property
it can cause. At least we have witnessed Hurricane Katrina and Rita. This is
similar to what the Apostles experienced in the Sea of Galilee. The apostles
were coastal people who made their living by fishing in the Sea of Galilee. No
one was more accustomed to violent winds or storms of the sea than they were. No
doubt they had seen bad weather many times but not like this one. They
experienced a storm they could not handle. This violent squall came up and
waves were breaking over the boat so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
Scared to death they woke Jesus up asking: Teacher, do you not care that we are
perishing? Immediately he woke up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet;
be still! The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them: why are
you terrified? Do you not yet have faith? They were filled with great awe and
asked one another “who is this who even the wind and sea obey? The apostles knew Jesus more deeply than
they knew him before and this new knowledge made them deepen their faith and
trust in him.
If you are asked this question when you are
facing issues- Do you still not have faith? What would you answer? The reality
is that whether we were ever caught in a storm for a moment or whether we caught
a storm on the sea or not, like the apostles, we’ve all gone through emotional life
experiences that were just as frightening as the stormy weather e. g. broken
relationships, loss of job, illnesses, loss of loved ones, fear of the unknown
etc. And we have all had times when we thought Jesus was asleep when we have
prayed and prayed and received no answer; times when we wanted to ask him, “do
you not care that we are perishing”. What was Jesus’ answer? Why are you
terrified? Do you not yet have faith?
Jesus knows the future more than any of us. He knows the troubles that each of us will face. He did not hide this fact from his disciples, He told them in plain language:
In the world you will have trouble, but take courage I have conquered the
world’ (Jan 16: 33); you will Have persecutions but he who perseveres will be
saved. (Elk 21:12-19). As a shepherd guides and protects his sheep so Jesus
is always with us- 24 hours a day. He doesn’t sleep. He gives us the tool to
help us handle issues- “Faith and Peace”. When he says “Peace be with you” Jn. 20
(19), he doesn’t say that peace means absence of trouble but a tranquility of mind
you need to sleep like Jesus in the midst of storm of life without despairing.
Faith will take our fears away and make you trust in God’s help.
