Hi everyone and welcome back to the podcast.
Today, we're looking at a fairly famous passage of Jesus, calming
the storm. So let's start by reading the
passage. It's Mark chapter 4, and then
we'll have a look at the meaning of some of the key ideas.
What's Mark? Trying to convey?
So, Mark 4:35 to 41. With the coming of evening.
Jesus said to his disciples, let us cross over to the other side.
And leaving the crowd behind. They took him just as he was in
the boat and there were other boats with him.
Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the
boat so that it was almost swamped but he was in the stern.
His head on the cushion asleep. They woke him and said to him,
Master, do you not care? We are going down and he woke up
and rebuked the wind and said to the Sea quiet.
Now be calm. And the wind dropped and always
calm again. Then he said to them.
Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no
faith? They were filled with or and
said to one another, who can this be?
Even the wind and the Sea obey him?
So verse 35 at the start here, it says, with the coming of
evening or a better translation here, that makes it a bit
clearer in terms of the timing is on that day when evening had
come. So this event has happened on
the same day that Mark has just narrated before this.
And the thing that Mark told us about just before this was
Jesus, sermon on the sea where he tells all those Parables
about about the seeds. So that's what he's just been
talking about. And now it's the very same
night. And evening has come Jesus says
to them. Let us go across to the other
side. So this is Jesus initiative
here. So in terms of geography, he's
been preaching on the shore of Capernaum, which is on the
western side of the Sea of Galilee.
And he's just said, let's cross. Let's cross the sea.
So they're going to go to the Eastern side of the Sea of
Galilee, which is a predominantly Gentile area.
So this is the first time in Mark, the Jesus is moving
towards Gentile area. He'll do that a few times
though. So the lake or the Sea of
Galilee, it's not that big. It's actually only about seven
or eight miles across. You can easily see to the other
side. So, normally wouldn't take all
that long to cross. So, it's possible that Jesus
knows that the storm is about to happen.
It's possible because you doesn't give a reason as to why
they should cross. So maybe he sees the storm
coming and he wants the apostles to go through it.
That's possible, but we don't really know verse 36. 36, they
took him with them just as he was in the boat.
So the apostles the disciples collect Jesus.
They didn't collect any supplies or do any preparations.
They, it says that they took him with them just as he was.
So they just started crossing the boat.
They got in the boat and left. Notice it also says, and other
Boats were with him. So often in pictures of this, in
fact, pretty much all the time and pictures of this event.
You'll see it as just like one boat that's been tossed around
in the sea. There's several boats involved
here. So probably his disciples are in
one boat with him. And then the rest of his inner
circle, his clothes followers are in other boats nearby and so
they all get caught in the storm together.
Verse 37. Then our translation in the
lectionary says then it began to blow a gale and the waves were
breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.
It's probably a bit watered down, translation more literal
translation says a great storm of wind arose and the waves beat
into the boat so that the boat was already filling.
So you can hear sort of marks. Dramatic Flair really painting
the picture for us coming through.
So the Sea of Galilee that they're on is A small Lake but
it could have massive storms and it still does today because the
wind would whip down the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee
on all sides yet. Actually get these quite strong
storms. And if you go there today to the
Sea of Galilee fishes will tell you that this does occur, the
have really strong storms first 38, but where's Jesus?
He's in the stern, which is the back of the boat and he's
asleep. And lots has been written about
the fact that Jesus is asleep. It's really showing Jesus
Humanity, which is possibly a side.
We don't get to talk as much about So probably, why is he
asleep? Because he's tired from think
about. It has been all day.
He's been preaching to the crowds in the hot, Middle
Eastern Sun. So it makes sense that he's
tired, and many scholars have pointed out.
The fact that Jesus can sleep through the storm is in self
itself, a miracle, really. And he's untroubled, sleep.
In fact, shows his perfect trust in God, there's lots of Old
Testament passages which talked about the man who has an
untroubled. Sleep has gone.
Odds favor. And so some schools have seen a
connection there. Possibly, it says, he has his
head on the cushion. And so, this is strong evidence
that this story comes from an eyewitness.
Remember the main source for the Mark's gospel, is Peter, and he
can really hear that coming through here, as we hear that
Jesus had his on the cushion. And the disciples say to him
master or teacher, this is the first time he's called teacher
in Mark, but he has just been teaching for a full day so that
certainly makes sense teacher. Do you not care?
We are going down or we are perishing.
So the fact that the disciples are panicking indicates, it's
quite a serious storm. There's professional fisherman,
amongst them, and they would be used to storms.
So perhaps there's a satanic element to this storm, possibly
because the professional fishermen are freaking out.
And why the disciples saying do you not care?
Well, the disciples no. Because they've been with Jesus
a little while. The Jesus should have the power
to do something about it. They've seen him do Miracles.
So from their perspective, it looks like it just doesn't care
in this situation. This attitude of God's followers
saying things like God, do you not care?
Actually shows up in the Old Testament a little bit.
So in Exodus 14 verse 10, there's this God, do not care
and it's a similar thing going on here with the apostles.
So what's going on with Jesus? So in all likelihood, Jesus knew
that God would preserve them and that the storm would pass and
that they would be okay. And that's why he's not
panicking and that's why he went to sleep.
Because he knows that in the end, they won't be harmed by the
storm. Verse 39.
So Jesus wakes up, he rebukes the wind that would rebuke
there, possibly. Although not definitely, but it
possibly implies that the storm comes from Satan because he's
rebuking the storm, which would make sense be given that Jesus
has given. The Jesus has just begun to
preach the kingdom of God. And that's all about overtaking.
The kingdom of Satan. So maybe Satan is trying to
retaliate here by sending a storm Mark.
Doesn't record the words that Jesus uses to rebuke?
The wind. But he does record the words he
uses on the sea which is this peace be still or a more literal
translation is being muzzled. So notice here, Jesus does not
pray to God or the father. He just commands the storm on
his own authority and the wind ceased and there was a great
calm. So this Echo is Psalm 107 verse.
28 29 which says this and you'll notice the similarity in their
distress, they cried to the Lord who brought them out of their
Peril hushed, the storm to a murmur.
The waves of the sea was stilled, So certainly this
nature miracle that Jesus performs probably would have
evoked in the disciples. Probably would have made them
recall this particular psalm So this miracle, that Jesus does
where he calms, the Storm shows to both the disciples and to
Mark's readers, the Jesus has power over nature.
So, this would prompt all the readers in the hearers to think
about Jesus identity because only God has that kind of power
over nature. So, this story Marcus put it in
there to make the readers. Think God, who is this, is this
and that probably it's going to make them believe or hopefully
tip them more towards believing that he is the son of What?
Verse 40, Jesus says to the disciples.
Why are you afraid? Have you?
No faith. So might seem a little bit harsh
because most people would be afraid in a serious storm.
But think about, you know what? They've seen of Jesus.
They should have known that they could trust users.
So, by saying this Jesus implies that the correct response for
the apostles during the storm would have been to trust that
God would preserve them through it.
It was what he expected the apostles to do.
Rather than Panic. So in this way Jesus teaches the
disciples, the the storm is both under God's control and under
his control. There's that sort of element of
both of them coming through there.
Well, you could interpret this, another way when Jesus says,
have you no faith as in having no faith in him.
Why don't you trust me? Jesus says, Jesus had called
them to complete a task. On the other side of the sea,
remember it was his initiative. He said, let's go across to the
other side of the sea. So you could interpret this as
saying, well, the Apostle should have known that.
Jesus would preserve them through it if he's going to call
them to the other side of the sea in the first place.
Verse 41, they were filled with awe, or literally.
I like this translation, they feared a great fear.
So, their fear of nature is now replaced with a reverent fear of
the presence of God in Jesus. They've just witnessed a man
that can control nature. So they've got this kind of or
response and they say among themselves who then is this that
even Wind and Sea obey him. So that who then is, this phrase
is key. Remember, one of the aims of
Mark's gospel is to invite his readers to consider who they
believe Mark is who do you say that I am.
So this is one of those times that's going to make the
readers. Think as the disciples did, who
is this guy? Also this story would have been
remember Market selected which stories who wanted in and which
ones he didn't think were relevant.
He probably included this story because it would have been an
encouragement to the early Christians who were around at
the time Mark was writing at the time.
Mark was riding there was a small Church, a struggling
church that felt as though they were being tossed around by the
vast, Roman Empire and they're constantly amidst a storm of
persecution and to them, it would have seen that Jesus is
apparently asleep. So the message for those early
Christians is that in the end, nothing can truly harm those who
trust in Jesus and possibly, that's what they would have
realized by reading this story. Okay.
So that's the exegesis. And there's actually no links to
this particular passage today in the catechism that is, but if
you look at Matthews version, there are some references in the
catechism. And when we look at Matthews
version a bit later on, in the podcast, you'll get to hear more
about the Catholic teaching based on that.
Passage one other thing to say about this is the story we've
just heard is the story of Jesus coming, the see it's not the
same story as when Jesus passes by and they think he's a ghost.
And he walks on the water that's a different story but sometimes
people get them confused because they both involve a storm but
they are distinct and we'll get to that other story of Jesus
walking on water a bit later on in Mark's gospel.
Thanks for listening, I hope you learned something new and please
keep sharing the podcast and talking to people about it so
that we can all grow in our knowledge and love of the
scriptures. We'll see you again tomorrow.
No.