Lord, are you asleep? [Mark 4:35-41]

Today I would like us to reflect on this interesting episode that occurred with Jesus and His disciples.  To place it in context, let’s go a few verses back; Jesus had been teaching till the evening came as we read from the beginning of chapter 4. He taught the people including his disciples with the parable of the sower, the Lamp Stand, The parables of the growing seed and the Mustard seed. Mark recounts that in order to address the crowd He entered a boat and taught from out of the lake. At the end of the day when evening came He asked His disciples to go with Him to the other side. Mark recounts here as well that He left the crowd behind alone with His disciples and enters the boat. Mark further comments that there were also other boats with Him. I would like us to look at this first point of Mark using the indefinite article “a” in the first instance and the definite one “the” in the second instance. 

Jesus was the one who called them out to go to a specific place at a specific time using a specific means. There were other boats there as noted by Mark but Jesus decided to use that particular boat at that instance. We not given any description of this vessel but I would like us to remember this point, that it was Jesus Himself who asked them to leave giving them the exact instructions where to go and how to get there. Let’s kindly keep this point in mind.

Going further, we are told of a furious squall, as the NIV uses, which came up when they were on their way. A squall is defined as a sudden violent gust of wind. I would like us to keep in mind, the word sudden used in this description. At the arrival of this squall, we are told that the boat was nearly swamped with huge waves but Jesus was in the stern asleep on a cushion. Now the stern is the back side of a boat. Again let’s keep in mind these interesting facts I came across- the stern is cited by canoeists as the position from where the steering of the boat is done. On smaller vessels, propulsion devices are located in the stern, whiles some other watercrafts will feature a rudder at the stern which aids in steering the craft. Again on even older sailing vessels, the stern was the location of the captain’s quarters. Again, Lets kindly keep these in mind.

As I reflected on these points the changing seasons of life came to mind. As children of God we have been called by God Himself for a purpose. Like the disciples we have been called to go to a specific place leaving behind a crowd we used to associate with, using a specific means. By His grace we have embarked on this journey with Him as believers and children of God set apart from the crowd, the masses walking the broad path, to walk on this narrow way. We find ourselves in varying places doing varying things but the question is, are we still following that original call on our lives? Have we deviated from that original purpose that God placed on us when we gave our lives to Him? Are we still with Jesus in His purpose driven boat? Tonight the Lord is reminding us to go back to our first love. He is reminding us to go back to the original disposition we had for Him when we opened our hearts to His calling. Sometimes we recall how zealous were in times past and have nostalgic thoughts about them. Tonight He wants to remind us that those past moments should become our reality now. Are we still in His boat? Are we still sailing with Him? Are we still obeying His direction and calling? Have we allowed the business of our days to snuff out the fire we had for Him? Today the Lord is calling us back to His boat.

For some of us here tonight we are indeed on track. Like the disciples we have left the crowds and jumped into the boat with the Lord, doing what He wants us to do and going where He wants us to go. But then the squall arrived- that sudden gust of wind. The inexplicable situations that arose from nowhere, the happenings that you never saw coming, the immediate occurrences that seemed to just appear, that has swamped our faith and threatens our resolve to remain in the Lords boat. That sickness, that marital issue, that financial issue, that issue at work, that sudden break of a relationship with a close friend, the list is endless, beloved you know what you what you are going through as do I. 

Many a times we lift up our hands and like the disciples we ask Him “don’t you care if we drown?” Tonight the Lord wants to encourage us that He is right there with us. He wants to remind us that we should not forget that He sent us out on that purpose. As stated by Mark in the reading, it was Jesus’ idea to leave the place and to leave in that specific boat to go to that specific place. Beloved, let us be encouraged that so far we remain in His purpose He is with us. Let us remember that Jesus chose to sleep on a cushion in the stern, the back of the boat. It might seem that He is at the back of our situation, quiet, out of sight and nonexistent, but remember that the stern is where the steering, the direction and the propulsion come from. We should remember that the stern was where the captain’s quarters were found, the boss Himself, the director of the vessel. I believe He chose that position to drive home the message to His disciples and to us that regardless of the storm He is right there and He is in control.

So going further we read that the disciples woke Jesus up in fear and He quieted the waves with a word. In verse 40, Jesus rebuked them saying “why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The question that came to mind was: was it wrong for them to have woken Jesus up? Should they not have called on Him? But we have to realise that they called on Him out of fear and not out of faith. I strongly believe that Jesus led them through this episode right from the onset, as a means of testing to strengthen their faith. Verse 41 ends the story by stating that the disciples were terrified and asked “who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him?” They were terrified now, not because of the waves but by the showcase of the power and control of the Lord. A showcase of power indicating to them that their faith needs to be grounded in the one who has the control- the captain of the ship. 

Beloved more often than not our challenges are meant to make firm our faith in the one who has the utmost power- Jesus. Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans 5:3-5 “³ Not only so, but we^[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Tonight may we be encouraged to cry out to God out of faith and not out of fear, faith in the fact that He is there and He has the control.

To conclude I will like to share with you the lyrics of a song titled Oceans by Hillsong United. I would kindly entreat you to reflect on the words as I read them:

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine


Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I pray that we will make this our prayer tonight and always. Amen.