Daily Lesson for January 23, 2015

Today's daily lesson comes from Mark chapter 4 verses 37 through 41:

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 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?”

What an incredible miracle in this Gospel story. Jesus stands boldly upon the bow of the ship with wind and waves battering the little vessel. And amidst this great and terrible storm he commands the waters and the waves to cease and there is peace and stillness. The imagery is that of Genesis 1 where the creation is formless and topsy turvy and waters cover the face of the deep, but God Himself speaks order into the chaos. The Gospel story then ends with a question, the disciples wondering if this Jesus might be God, for who else could command the waves and the waters to draw back.  What a miracle. 

Except, that's not the incredible miracle I'm talking about. The miracle I'm amazed with is not the one Jesus performed from the bow of this. The miracle which most amazes me the one he did just before, while still in the stern. How in the world, I wonder, was he able to sleep during that storm?  How, while the boat was being rocked and ravaged, was the little Lord Jesus still able to lay down his sweet head?

To take control of what is happening is one thing. To take command and speak authority and abate all wind and waves and chaotic forces --  it's impressive, no doubt.  It's the power of God indeed.  But to sleep, to rest so peacefully and without fear, even while the forces of chaos are turning your little dingy of a boat or a life every which way -- that is quite another. This is the power, not so much of God, but of a man who absolutely trusts in God.  It is the power and strength of a man who, though facing certain death from a perfect storm of all that life can throw at him, does not call upon God to calm the storm, but instead calms himself and prays to his God, "Into your hands I commit my spirit."

The Gospel story ends in questions. We have the question of the disciples wondering who this man with such power is. But that's not really what we are meant to ponder. That's the disciples' question. We are meant to ponder Jesus' questions. "Why are you afraid?" and "Where is your faith?"  See, Jesus knows that if we can figure out why it is that we are afraid and where it is what or who it is that our faith is ultimately in, then we will begin to have the peace which allows us to be at rest in any storm -- even those we cannot or should not drive back.

Storms come. They are intent to rock our little boats. And what a miracle it is to be able to drive back the storms with a commanding word from the bow. But with the storms beating away outside, what an even greater miracle it is to be serenely at peace and at rest and without fear  inside the stern.