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.