Mark 4:41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
The disciples and Jesus are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a massive storm arises unexpectedly and threatens to swamp their boats. While the disciples are shouting, bailing, panicking, Jesus lies calmly asleep through all the commotion. His inaction and presumed indifference alarm the desperate men. Frantically, they wake Him up: "Teacher! Do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38b)
Drowsy and, most likely, perturbed by this disruption of His coveted rest, the Lord commands the storm to cease. Within seconds, all is calm again. The disciples are more petrified by this act than they were by the raging winds and pounding waves. They question each other: "Who is this man?" "How did he do it?" "We've seen him cure the sick and the lame and drive out demons, but this?" "Who is this Jesus?"
For us, who know the rest of the story, the obtuseness of the disciples seems ludicrous. Before we judge them as being dense or slow-witted, however, let us remember that Jesus has not, at this point, come right out and told them who He is. He is allowing, instead, the words of His teaching and His miracles to, little by little, reveal His true identity. When their hearts and minds are ready, He knows they will see and understand that He is the Messiah, the Christ, and the author of their salvation.
If someone were to ask you today, "Who is this Jesus?", what would your answer be?
Readings
Psalms 119:49-72 or 49, (53)
1 Samuel 25:23-44
Acts 14:19-28
Mark 4:35-41
My answer would be similiar to yours...that he is our Savior, God's only son, the author of salvation and he that sustains all of Creation with his love. I always loved that story. I think the awe that the disciples showed was genuine and well fitted at that moment. I think most Christians have lost the "awe" that there really is to be experienced in contemplating the true nature of God's greatness...the magnitude of His reality and glory. Us Christians tend to talk about God a little too lightly, as if sometimes we think Him more of a concept than a reality that is interwoven in all that we see, hear and experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we don't see him in the everyday things as we should and feel him working in our lives. Perhaps we, as you said, talk about him too lightly; I wonder if that's because the concept of God is so grand we can't get our heads around it and actually have the words to describe such greatness or is putting God in a box so we can actually "handle" him? Hmmmm, have to think on that one!
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