(55) Asleep in the Storm | David and Robin Watters

Lesson 55 Sleeping in the Midst of the Storm

The Preface:

Would you characterize your life as “restful” or “anxious?” What do you tend to worry about? How often does God come into your thinking with the things you are anxious about?

The Passage:

Matthew 8:18, 23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25

The Process:

What was the context of this event? What had happened over the past few days in the life of Jesus and his disciples? (Matt 12:22-24; Matt 12:31-32; Matt 13:1; Mark 4:33-35)
Mark 4:36 says “they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.” After all that had happened, all the conversations, and the stress of the situation, how may Jesus have been doing physically and emotionally?
When the storm came up, what was Jesus doing? (Mark 4:38)
How do the gospel writers describe the severity of the situation? (Mark 4:37; Matt 8:24; Luke 8:23)
In the midst of that situation, how could Jesus be sleeping so well that they had to actually wake him up?
What do Mark’s words in Mark 4:38 reveal about how they felt about Jesus care for them at that moment?
How did Jesus respond? (Mark 4:39-40; Matt 8:26; Luke 24-25)
How did what Jesus did affect them? (Mark 4:41; Matt 8:27; Luke 8:25)

The Purpose:

What was God doing? Why did He have this written down?

Jesus is our example once again. While he was sleeping, he had more faith then the disciples in all their frantic efforts to overcome the waves!

As His disciples process what had just happened, they are over whelmed a second time. A moment before they had feared for their lives, and now they had been delivered by One who was stronger than the waves. The reality of what they witnessed and the conclusion put great fear into them. It would be something they would never forget! Jesus had given them His greatest illustration. Not just a mysterious story with a private interpretation, but a real live illustration, showing them where their faith needs to be!

Remember what the angel told Mary when she questioned how she, a virgin, could conceive. He told her of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and reminded her, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Matt 1:37)

And what about Abraham when the angel told them Sarah would have a child at her age, and Sarah laughed? The angel said, “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year and Sarah will have a son.” (Gen 18:14)

There is nothing too hard for me. Trust me! Believe in me! Live by faith in what you know is true, no matter how big the waves are or how strong the wind is, I am stronger! Don’t forget what you have seen today! May this be a lesson that you can always go back to! Learn to rest in what you have seen today! I am the One who was stronger than the waves.

The Plan:

As I ask these questions of myself, I encourage you to ask them too.

What can I learn from this? What is God saying to me and my life from this passage?

Just like Jesus asked his disciples, He is asking each one of us, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) Do I face every situation in faith, resting in the One who is stronger than the waves? How restful am I? Am I able to be at peace, even when the waves of life are crashing over me? I am afraid that Jesus conclusion of his disciples is also true of me, “O you of little faith.” (Matt 8:26)

What do I need become more aware of?

What am I anxious about? What am I worried about? Where is my faith when I am in the midst of the storm?

I am often anxious about our support. Every month that we don’t meet our expenses, and I have to draw money out of our savings, I worry. I am not resting. I know the truth, “There is nothing impossible for God.” (Matt 1:37) I know that God promises to provide for those who do His work. (2 Cor 9:10-12). But still I worry.

I am also anxious about my work with our students. How do I connect with them? How can I be God’s instrument in their lives?

How does God want me to engage with this? What does He want me to do because of what He is saying here?

Every day, pray about my support level, then leave it with Him!

Every day, pray about how to connect. Continue to be faithful to follow my schedule, then rest in what He does

The Power; Implement and Integrate

The power to change is in the implementation and integration of what God is saying to us. We can talk all we want, make lots of plans, but until we do something about it, and develop habits that integrate those truths, we will never change. What is the one thing I need to do as a result of this study today?

My commitment:

Pray everyday, committing our support to God, and claiming the words of 2 Cor 9:10-20.
Pray everyday for how God wants to use my mouth, ears, feet and hands to be his instrument in my students lives. Then, go out the door, believing He will do it.

Commentary:

Verse by verse insights:

Mark 4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.

The internal storms:

Jesus:

For Jesus, the days have been running together like one long, flowing, seamless garment that was fast beginning to smother him in its folds.

By day, he has revealed mysteries about the kingdom to the teeming masses. By the crackling light of the evening campfire, he has explained those mysteries to his closest circle of confidants. From the first pastels of dawn until the dying embers of midnight, Jesus has been tirelessly about his Father’s business. Teaching. Healing the sick. Casting out demons. Performing miracles. But, they had all rejected him and his message!

Jesus knew what this rejection would cost him. He knew what it would mean for his little band of disciples. He tried to help them understand, but He knew it was a lot for them tot take in.

Jesus was carrying a heavy weight. He was carrying the weight of the nations rejection. He was carrying the weight of trying to encourage his small band of disciples and help them see what’s coming. It was all exhausting. He was phyically and emotionally spent. So when evening came, after another exhausting day of teaching, Jesus is ready for a sequestered Sabbath from the long week his body and soul have put in.

“Let’s go over to the other side.”

The Disciples:

For the disciples, the days had been filled with confusing stories and endless questions in their minds about what had happened, and what they had gotten themselves into. Their nights were spent drilling Jesus, trying to understand this strange new, mysterious kingdom that He is now talking about.

They had just seen their dreams of having a front row seat to seeing the Messiah usher in his kingdom crash and burn. Instead, they were now facing being prime suspects in a revolt against the ones they all thought were their spiritual leaders, as they watched Jesus condemn them and this whole generation. Instead of being a part of the Messianic kingdom, Jesus was now asking them to commit to being a part of kingdom, not based on politics, race or geography, but in the hearts of men, something that would be misunderstood, with insignificant beginnings, that would proclaim the treasures both of the old system, and this new, unknown, mystery. This would have been a lot to take it. Their hearts must have been in turmoil.

Mark 4:36-38 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

Mark 4:36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him

As they leave the crowds, Mark says that they took Jesus with them, “just as he was.” Even his disciples could see the exhaustion in their Rabbi. They went to the sea shore and hired a boat. The “other boats with him” were likely boats for hire similar to what we have here in PNG. It was likely a fairly small craft that would accommodate ferrying people across the sea.

With the crowds growing smaller to dot the shore behind them, Jesus finds a cushion and cuddles up in the cupped, wooden hands of the stern. There, rocked by the idle rhythm of the lapping waves, Jesus falls asleep. (Gire, K. (n.d.). Moments With the Saviour.)

Mark 4:37a And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

The Sea of Galilee was in a bowl with mountains surrounding it with the Jordan river valley flowing out to the south. With the geography of that place, it was not uncommon for severe weather to develop rapidly. This particular situation was such a time. All three Gospels emphasize the extremity of the situation:

Mark describes the waves breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling. (Mark 4:37)
Matthew mentions that the boat was filling with water faster than they could bail it out. He said that the boat was “being swamped by the waves.” (Mt. 8:24);
Luke gives the conclusion of what they were all thinking, “they were filling with water and were in (real (NLT) great (NIV) danger. (Lk. 8:23)

These expert fishermen had been in stormy seas before, but this was obviously worse than other storms they had weathered.

Mark 4:37b But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

With all the chaos of the storm, how could Jesus still be asleep? With the waves crashing in on top of him, and the boat filling up with water, Jesus was undisturbed in his slumber. He was completely at rest in the midst of the storm.

“Heaving waves toss the boat back and forth on its frothy crests. Wave after wave bursts against its sides, each one sloshing more water into the boat. Some of the disciples frantically bail, while others pull at the oars, while still others wrestle to subdue the erratic sail. (Gire, K. (n.d.). Moments With the Saviour.)

While Jesus rested, His disciples toiled! While Jesus was at peace, His disciples were frantic. And when they had exhausted all their physical strength and energy fighting the wind and the waves, they finally turn to Jesus in desperation. As a last resort, they turn to the creator of the universe, the maker of the wind and the waves, and disturb his slumber.

Mark 4:38-39 And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

As they woke him, they said, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” How often has that been our cry to God? We turn to Him as if He were asleep, and we question, “Don’t you care about my situation.” How could Jesus be asleep in the midst of the worst storm of their lives? While Jesus was exhausted and his slumber was a result of his physical tiredness, that’s not the only reason why could could sleep so soundly in the midst of the storm. The reason He could sleep is because Jesus was at rest! He was at complete peace, because He knew His Father was handling the circumstances!

The disciples on the other hand were not at peace, they were frantic! While Jesus was at peace, in the midst of the storm, they were doing everything they could to stay afloat. They were toiling in their own strength and according to what their experience had taught them, and they were losing the battle. “Do you not care…” are words of desperation. So, they went and woke Jesus up and told him what they thought.

Jesus awakes to a dozen pairs of faithless eyes, bloodshot with terror. He turns his piercing gaze toward the storm. He gets up and speaks to the wind first and then to the waves, almost as if speaking to unruly children, playing too loudly in the house.

“Quiet! Be still!”

Immediately the roughhousing stops. Without so much as a word or a whine or a whimper in reply.

The sail falls limp. The boat steadies itself. The storm is over. (Gire, K. (n.d.). Moments With the Saviour.) the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

What a solemn picture of what is so often the case in our hearts! We struggle and strive to weather the storm. We work our tails off trying to overcome the wind and the waves, to no avail. Then, when we are completely exhausted and overwhelmed, we turn to Jesus. We go to Him, as if he is sleeping and has no care for our situation and needs to be woken up. But,all along, Jesus was resting in His Father’s hands, knowing and believing His Father was handling the situation! Like a child sleeping in the back seat while the father drives through a winter storm. (Like traveling down the Guam through the rapids and rough waters, but at rest because I trust the boat captain to navigate it safely)

When they bring Jesus into their situation, he immediately brings peace and calms the tempest! Of that we would go to Him first, and find His peace and rest first.

The physical storm was a picture of what was going on in their hearts and what is so often the case in ours. We feel like God is asleep and oblivious to the tempest going on in our lives. But, the exact opposite is true. He is the one who is in control! He is the creator of the wind and the waves! He has everything under His control. We don’t need to know what He plans to do, we simply need to know Him and rest in His sovereignty. Like Ian Thomas said, “What I am urging is simply that you become delightfully detached from the pressure of circumstance, so that it ceases to be the criterion in the decisions you make.”¹¹ The Indwelling Life of Christ-New. (n.d.).

Jesus is our example once again. While he was sleeping, he had more faith then the disciples in all their frantic efforts to overcome the waves! I began this study with this quote from Ian Thomas, “There was never a moment in the life of the Lord Jesus that was without divine significance, because there was never anything He did, never anything He said, never any step He took which did not spring from a divine origin. There was nothing in His life that was not the activity of the Father in and through the Son.”¹¹ The Indwelling Life of Christ-New. (n.d.). Once again, Jesus is our example of living by faith, completely dependent upon His Father and at rest because of that faith!

Mark 4:40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Matt 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you so afraid, O you of little faith?”

Luke 8:25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

We said earlier that Jesus has been tirelessly about his Father’s business. Teaching. Healing the sick. Casting out demons. Performing miracles, all for the purpose of revealing Himself as the Messiah to the people of Israel. Each of those acts were witnessed by His disciples, and at times, they even participated in making it happen. While Isaiah’s prophesy became true of the people, “seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand,” (Matt 13:13) Jesus had commended his disciples because they were seeing and understanding. “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matt 13:16-17)

But, when they faced the storm, and the circumstances seemed hopeless and felt completely helpless, they forgot who it was that had got them there.

“Why are you so afraid?” I have been here all along. My Father is handling the situation. Just like he did with the mute demonic. Just like he did when he raised the widows only son from the dead. Just like he did when he healed the Jewish Leper. There is nothing He cannot do. “Have you still no faith?”

“Blessed are your eyes because you see and your ears, for they hear.” But, you need to act upon what you see and hear with faith! There are going to many more storms ahead. You need to learn to trust the Father as I do. “O you of little faith.”

You have been so used to living according to the system. Following the law as your rule of life. Doing all the right things, because that’s what you have been taught, and what you have come to depend upon. Because my people have rejected me, things are going to be different. You are going to need to learn to depend on me, and not on the system. Remember when John the Baptist’s disciples came and asked “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”(Luke 7:20)? He too struggled seeing where this was all going. So, I ask you, “Where is your faith?”

Just like I said to John’s disciples, I will say to you, “remember what you have seen and heard. “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. ²³And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Luke 7:22-23)

Mark 4:41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

A moment before they had feared for their lives, and now they had been delivered by One who was stronger than the waves. The reality of what they witnessed and the conclusion put great fear into them. It would be something they would never forget! Jesus had given them His greatest illustration. Not just a mysterious story with a private interpretation, but a real live illustration, showing them where their faith needs to be!