The Calming Christ
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:35-41
Meditation
It was Jesus’ idea.
“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.”
Halfway across the sea, the disciples wonder if Jesus had made a mistake.
“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”
None of the disciples saw it coming. The cool air from the Mediterranean had slithered through the narrow mountain passes. When it got close to the water in the Galilean basin, it raised its head, shot upward, and blindsided the hot, humid air hanging over the Sea of Galilee.
This collision didn’t create a storm; it sired a squall. It was an offspring that was rebellious, violent, and deadly. Gale winds blew. They created whitecaps that dumped wave after wave into the boat. The disciples bailed furiously but, for every bucket they threw overboard, five buckets returned. They knew that if something didn’t happen soon, if someone didn’t help, if in some way this squall didn’t stop, this could be it.
But while the squall rages, Jesus sleeps.
“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’s snoring in the stern of the boat. Exhausted. Even the spray of the waves, the thrashing of the boat, the flashes of lightning, and the blasts of thunder can’t stir him.
Divinity is sleeping in a human body. Snoring. He’s dreaming in the middle of the disciples’ nightmare.
His disciples shake him. They shout above the thunder,
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? Wake up!”
They wonder if he is aware. They question if he cares. But his actions answer their question.
“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!’ ”
Jesus wakes up, stands firm in the stern, steadies himself, and speaks into the wind,
“Quiet! Be still!”
As suddenly as the squall came, it leaves.
The wind dies down.
The waves disappear.
Calm.
With three words, he silences the sea.
“Quiet! Be still!”
Those three words show his disciples that he is aware of the fury of the squall and that he does care about their lives. They show that he is more than able and willing to act. But when he calms the sea, the squall rebels. It relocates.
Inward.
Moments before, when the disciples were in the middle of the storm, they shouted at Jesus. They had wondered if he was aware of the danger. They had accused him of not caring. After he spoke, silenced the waves, and stilled the sea—all for which they prayed— another storm begins: an inner storm.
A collision occurs between their humanity and his divinity.
The wind of human reason and the warmth of divine revelation mix. It creates turbulence. Doubt, fear, and unbelief collide with his faithfulness, power, and majesty. He has shown them something that they weren’t expecting to see. He has done something that they can’t understand. He has just wrestled, grabbed, and tamed the wind. As a result, they’re in turmoil. They’re terrified.
They wonder,
“Who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Jesus, however, speaks into both storms.
“Quiet!”
He speaks into the outer storm and the screaming squalls go silent. And he speaks into the inner storm. He warms and calms the chilling winds of their doubt.
“Be still!”
He doesn’t prevent the storm from happening, but he does promise to enter it.
Prayer
Father,
Before the storm set upon the sea, your Son said to his disciples,
“Let us go over to the other side.”
Halfway across, a furious squall came up. Waves broke over the boat and it was in danger of being swamped. Even more troubling was the fact that, during all of this, your Son was asleep.
His disciples shook him awake and asked,
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
They wondered if he knew what was happening. They questioned if he cared. They were uncertain if he would help.
He did help. He got up and rebuked the wind and the waves. The sea became calm.
During this day, remind me that though the Calming Christ doesn’t always prevent the storms from happening, he does promise to enter them. He is aware of them. He is present in them.
He still says,
“Quiet! Be still!”
Help me believe that this Calming Christ cares about my life and that he is the same powerful God before, after, and during the storm.
It’s in his calming name that I pray. Amen
Reflection
Describe a time in your life when a “furious squall” suddenly came upon you?
In what ways have you shaken the Sleeping Christ and asked, “Don’t you care if we drown?”
What types of storms are there in your life? (Outer/Inner)
In what areas of your life do you need the Calming Christ to say, “Quiet! Be still!”?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Mark 4:35-41). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.