“And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” 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. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
Mark 4:37-41 (RSV)
The disciples were afraid for their lives, seeing Jesus lying at the back of the boat, sound asleep. Fierce winds and wild waves had tossed the boat around, until it was filling up with water. They finally woke Him up, asking if He even cares that they were all perishing in the storm.
The disciples asked the question in a state of total panic. Jesus didn’t verbally respond to their question, but He responded to the storm, by rebuking the wind and waves, and all calmness was restored. Once everyone and everything was calm, Jesus asks them two questions, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
At that moment, the disciples were so filled with awe by Jesus rebuking the storm, that they didn’t answer either of the two questions. Instead, they turned to each other and asked,
“Who is this, that the wind and the sea obey Him?”
So far in reading these passages of scripture, four questions have been asked and none have been answered. It almost seemed that each question was answered by the following question.
The disciples were at their peak of anxiety, when they cried out to Jesus, questioning His concern for their lives. His first response was to rebuke the storm, not the disciples. God doesn’t rebuke us in the peak of our depression or when we are overwhelmed with anxieties, but He speaks words of peace. He showed by His action, instead of words, that He cared about them, and wasn’t going to let them perish. Sometimes God speaks to us within our spirit, and sometimes through outward events.
Once all was calm, Jesus asked the disciples some questions. He asked why they were afraid, and why they had no faith. He questioned them in the quiet calmness, not during the peak of the storm and stress. The Spirit also questions us in the quiet moments, in order to inspire more trust in Him.
It seems obvious to us why they were fearful, since they were all about to drown, but maybe Jesus hoped their confidence would be in knowing He was in the boat with them, whether awake or asleep. He seems to want our faith and confidence to be grounded in “Who” is with us, more than “what” is against us.
The moment Jesus spoke peace to the storm, the disciples were filled with awe. They recognized “Who” was in the boat with them, which led to their next question, which is more of a revelation than a question. They answered themselves, saying,
“Who is this that the wind and sea obey Him?” In that question, their minds and hearts were opened, and they knew that God was in their boat. Their answer came when they focused on Who, rather than what.
Questions sometimes answer questions, but questions can also be a form of praise to God. He is praised with a simple question like, “Who is like you Lord?”, or “Who else can I turn to but you, Lord?”
Those questions imply our conviction in trusting that no one is greater than God. The disciples discovered their own conviction of trust through the questions Jesus asked them and in asking their own question.
When it feels like Jesus has been asleep in our boat, and we want to rouse our faith as well as invoke Him to our rescue, a question can become both a form of praise and give renewed security to our trust in Him.
When a group of followers once turned away from Him, Jesus asked His twelve disciples if they also wanted to leave Him, and Peter responded, “Where would we go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Peter’s question was praise to God and sealed the security of his faith. The psalmist wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”(Psalm139:7) The questions imply the answers and God is praised and glorified.
Our questions during the chaos and the storms, become our offering of praise. We are told that God inhabits the praises of His people. He draws near to us, and speaks calmness to our souls, by asking us to trust that He is in our boat, saying “Peace, be still.”
Lord, speak your peace to us today, and give us renewed assurance that you are with us in our boat, as we offer up our praises to you, even when they are in the form of questions. Amen
