Mark 4:26-41 — Jesus illustrates and demonstrates His kingdom and power
Doesn’t He care?
Life has a way of tossing us about, threatening to overwhelm us. We experience conflicts and misunderstandings in some relationships. We find ourselves with obligations we can hardly meet. We can’t seem to rise to our own expectations as well as those of others. We face decisions that confound our ability to discern the right answers. We go through times of defeat and discouragement. We get a traffic ticket, damage a borrowed item, and have a fender bender in the parking lot…all in the same morning. We seem unable to overcome a persistent illness. We lose our job or flunk a course of study or learn our affection has been refused.
You don’t need me to continue in that vein. You already know myriad ways in which the winds and waves of life threaten to swamp our puny little boats. And in it all we can begin to feel as though not a single person cares or understands, not even God.
What assurance do I have that Jesus cares that my life has become so tumultuous? How do you know that He cares when you are nigh to sinking and perishing? Our best answer to these questions lies in His own Word to us. So as the thunder crashes and the waves roll, as the wind blasts our tattered clothes around us and the lightning flashes so close we smell the ozone, let’s strengthen our hearts in His calming presence and love.
Despite His kingdom and power, Are you making Him wait to help you?
Jesus cared for the well-being and safety of His disciples. He had no less interest in keeping the boat afloat than they did. Yet He slept despite their frantic efforts and mounting fears. Why? It seems likely that they kept Him waiting. I’m sure He wanted to help, but He was waiting. Allow me a little surmising to help us see ourselves in them.
- They didn’t want to bother Him.
- They wanted to do their part.
- They could take care of themselves.
(I excerpted and adapted the above from this which I wrote 15+ years ago: The Authority of Jesus. I encourage you to click on through and read the full piece.)
The Kingdom and Power for When We Perish
“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow; and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:37,38).
What should have they done?
What do you think you would have done?
More importantly, what did Jesus want them to do?
Not what they did. That’s quite obvious from what He said to them after He calmed the storm:
“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).
Frankly, I don’t know what they were supposed to do. I mean…yeah, I know they were supposed to be full of faith and without fear. But in practical terms, what were they supposed to do?
And when my “boat” is being pounded by the wind and filled by the waves, what am I to do?
If you have answers for my questions, please post them here: We Perish
"The Kingdom and Power" is the CLP Sunday School lesson for March 17, 2019, and uses Mark 4:26-41 as the Scripture passage.
Learn more about Sunday School quarterlies by Christian Light Publications.
Unless noted otherwise, the material above is copyrighted by CLP and/or Mark Roth.
Mark's first ebook: Panting (Faith Works 1) (available on Amazon via this affiliate link)
