About to Drown

Mark 4:36-41

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!"

Look at their little faith. The disciples feared for their lives because of the circumstances as the waves beat into the boat and the water filled it. These men lived on the seas for their livelihood as fisherman. They knew how to swim and handle water. So what made them fear for their lives? Look no further than the previous verses.

Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

See the unrelenting of the storm, the depth of the water, and fear of the unknown. The intent of the storm was to steal, kill, and destroy as Matthew 10:10 states. The devil may cause the circumstances, but God controls them. God is the master of all. The disciples feared because they did not believe in his divinity. After all the miracles witnessed, the disciples could fear knowing who they were with. After God called them to himself and saved them, they did not believe he would do so again. The problem was they did not think the heart of God was good.

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?"

Notice their accusations; "don't you care" that we are dying? Rather than having little faith that says we are in a storm but God is with us, the disciples had no faith at all. They had not

died or been injured and the boat was far from sinking when they are rolling over in the graves of their minds. Jesus's response was a rebuke to both the disciples and the circumstances. He does not address their fear; he addresses their lack of faith. Jesus is a funny sort of guy. You see, he is humorous. He knows how to tell a joke even in a bad situation. He told them they had "little faith" when in reality there was none to be had at the moment. Immediately at his rebuke the circumstances changed and they were where he said they would be. The man on the other side had an impure spirit. The impure spirit may have direct connection to the storm and the disciples' predicament. Note the will of God to stop at nothing to save those who are dying; not even the devil, circumstances, or all the demons in hell can stop it. We sing about the love of God being so rich and pure, so marvelous, deep, and strong. In reality, the heart of God is on display even when being accused of the opposite. The disciples' lack of faith is directly linked to their lack of spiritual sight. Because they did not believe, they could not see the goodness of God, the reason for crossing the lake, nor yet the mission on the other side. Their spiritual sight was dimmed. The disciples' spiritual recognition returned along with the rest of their senses when their faith in him was restored. Jesus can sleep in the middle of the disciples' need or in the middle of ministry because of his position. "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed," in Psalm 34:8, are all who take "refuge in him." Faith and the sight to see above your circumstances begin with a recognition that the Father's heart towards us is good.