RBWords

  

     Sometimes "following" the Lord can make for rough sailing!  But the verb is deliberate and the disciples "follow" the Lord into a boat!  For the people of Jesus' time, the waters may have brought forth fish, but they also represented chaos and the violent storm underlined that chaos!  The reaction of the disciples is terror and faith of a sort.  They do call on Jesus as "Lord!" and wake him up!  "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  Jesus chides them for their fear and then calms the storm.  The disciples at least ask the right question at the end of the story:  "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey" 

 

     Centuries of reflection on this story (and its "original edition) in Mark) have identified the boat with the church - the "bark of Peter" - but also with any disciple who "follows" Jesus.  When storms inevitably arise, we often feel that the Lord is asleep!  In Mark's version, the disciples use the words, "Do you not care....?"  But, if we are going to follow Jesus, we have to get in the boat!  We also have to have faith!  Jesus chides the disciples for the weakness of their faith in the face of the storm!  (If you've ever been seasick, you'll wonder where the Lord is for sure!)

 

     The Lord works both ends of this situation.  I've quoted this before in this forum, but it comes back to me time and time again:  "Sometimes the Lord calms the storm, and sometimes the Lord lets the storm rage and calms his child."  We can still pray for both!  AMEN