Having been on stormy seas, I found them not to be fun at all...roiling, boiling, churning water, up and down, up and down, stomach churning, heady dizziness, .....yuck...and watching the horizon was no help....meds to sleep was my answer...even though watching the waves was mesmerizing In their relentless pounding, crashing...several times, the doors to the deck have been lock and barred to hold the passengers in, not letting us out to experience the raging winds, rain or sleet...
The fishermen on the Galilee were open to the seas, their boats without "safe" places to hide from the storms which would suddenly hit....
In these two storms, Mark placed one after another...
Jesus calmly sleeping through the first and walking on the water in the second...
The first, the disciples are terrified,but asking, "Who is this?"
The second, they are afraid, but conclude, "truly, You are the son of God!."
The first, Jesus has been teaching with parables...
The second, Jesus has just fed five thousand men with a handful of food, with abundant leftovers....
In both, he questions their faith...but he calms the seas in both ...he who created the seas has power over them...
He calms their fears...in turbulence of life...
Why am I so afraid, terrified in the sea of life...when I have a Calmer, a Comforter...one who rules the wind and waves...One who holds tomorrow in His hands...who reaches out and lifts me up when my eyes turn toward the turbulence?
Thank YOU....
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.
There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:22-33
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