This same miracle story is also seen in Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-25. When comparing the stories, I find that in the NRSV, the author of Matthew starts out the story with a command of getting into the boat and Jesus leading the way. In Mark and Luke, there is no commandment by Jesus to cross the sea but more of statement of fact that they will all go do this. Mark however goes a little further stating that they take Jesus as he was which may be indicating that although Jesus had been teaching all day, that he may not had an opportunity to rest or clean up before leaving. They story does not tell us if all or some of the Apostles are in the boat with Jesus, nor does it tell us if the other boats experienced the storm. The story centers around the boat that contains Jesus. In fact we are only told that disciples are in the boat, so that could include some of the Apostles but it may not include any of them.
As the disciples and Jesus and we don’t know if some or all the Apostles went, cross the Sea of Galilee, Jesus falls asleep on a cushion in the rear of the boat. While asleep, a storm comes up. This is described as a great wind storm in and that the waves on the water were high enough to start to swamp (fill the boat with water) the boat. This must have been one heck of a storm for experienced fishermen, thus experienced boaters to believe they would parish. For the Jews of this time period, the seas and waters were places of danger and monsters that no one could control. The disciples believe they are perishing, right this very moment, all the while Jesus is sleeping….on a cushion. Where else have you every heard of Jesus sleeping in the Bible, aside from His birth story? Jesus was awakened by the disciples…Can you imagine, this Jesus dude, doing all these healings, casting out of demons, astounding knowledge when he taught and just had chosen some disciples to be His Apostles, was sleeping seemingly without a single care.
The first thing they ask Jesus upon waking him was, if he cares or not that they were perishing. Can’t you just see it, Jesus is waking up, yawning and stretching as the disciples are in a frantic worried state. The disciples are convinced that the storm was so bad that they would die, die right there and now on the boat, there in this awful storm!
Jesus wakes, and yells at the wind and the sea to be quiet…He probably also said, if not under his breath, please be quiet, you are scaring my disciples. Now if any or all of the Apostles were among those on the boat, Jesus must be thinking, wow, these are my chosen ones, my cream of the crop of disciples, the ones that have advanced to the Advanced Placement class of discipleship. Okay, we don’t know if Jesus said or thought that, I know I sure would be.
Now everything is dead calm, there is not a wisp of wind, no sounds in the air, the water is like…..glass. Jesus says, “Hey guys, what is all the fuss about? Can’t you see I was sleeping very comfortably. Why are you still doubting who I am?” Remember these disciples have been following Jesus around. Seeing the healing, seeing the casting of demons out, yet they lack faith they will be okay on the boat, the boat that Jesus was riding in. Jesus rolls His eyes and thinks to himself…boy, they get tested and failed miserably. If some of them are Apostles he might have been thinking, maybe I should demote them back to disciples?
In the days of Jesus on earth, it was not uncommon for others to be doing healing and casting out of demons. So maybe Jesus is cutting them some slack, but now they should get it, he thinks to himself, now they have seen I have control over nature its self. This should send a message to those good ole boys!
Well the message was sent and received. The disciples are fearful but more than just fearful, they are quaking in their sandals. In verse 41 the text says ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν, which is; they feared a great fear. Obviously the Greek text wants to highlight the fear that the disciples had, after Jesus calms the storm. They are fearful now that the calm is about. The disciples say to themselves, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?” This is the fear they are expressing, not that they made it through the storm, but the fear now associated with their question of who Jesus is.
Jesus just rolls his eyes again.
Will they ever learn, will they get it, what more do I need to do, die and be raised back to life?
I was not trying to make fun of this text but to bring out what is going on here. This is important. Not only do the disciples lack faith, it would seem they believe that Jesus is unaware of the situation and that Jesus needs to be told of the situation and prompted to help. That is not only a lack of faith but total lack of understanding just who and what Jesus is and what Jesus is capable of doing. Below is the actual text from the NRSV:
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 1
1) The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 4:35–41.
This same story can be found in
Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-25
Maybe the disciples needed to trust that Jesus was aware of the situation and was going to guide them through the storm. Jesus does not always calm the storm but can care for us in the storm and guide us through it.