A Storm and a Story of a Scarce Faith
Introduction
Some years ago, a dear preacher friend of mine was preaching in our old home church. And at that time, he was a very exuberant preacher and he had a strong, powerful way of delivering a message. During the course of the service that night, a thunderstorm began to brew outside. At one point during his sermon, my friend’s strong fist came down heavily upon the pulpit, and just as it did there was a very loud crash of thunder right outside the building. It seemed that night like he had literally “preached up a storm.”
I don’t know that I’m going to “preach up a storm” in these days of meeting, but it is on my heart to preach about some storms. As we study some of the various situations in God’s Word that involve storms, we’re calling our series “Storm Stories.” And specifically, we’re magnifying the concept of faith as it relates to the storms that we go through. So basically, we’re dealing with “How Faith Works in Foul Weather,” or if you prefer … “Trusting Christ in Tempestuous Conditions.”
This morning, I tried to deal with “A Storm And A Story Of A Saving Faith” from what is presumably the very first storm on record … the great flood of Noah’s day.
Tonight, as our Bibles are open to Mark 4:35-41, I want to try deal with “A Storm And A Story Of A Scarce Faith.” You’ll notice that after Jesus had rebuked the wind and commanded the sea to “be still,” in verse 40, “He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” According to the Strong’s Concordance, the word “no” is an absolute negative, and the fact that He said “no faith” indicates that the disciples’ faith was totally diminished as a result of the storm that they had just encountered.
In the summer of 1989, Hurricane Hugo slammed into the east coast with great destructive force. Just a few months after that, my wife and I drove from Greenville, SC where we were at that time down to St. Stephen, SC in the lower southern part of the state to visit some friends of ours there. They had felt the full brunt of the force of Hurricane Hugo, and as we drove around, we went through one stretch of highway in an area where thousands of pine trees had once stood strong and tall. But after the devastating power of the Hurricane, there was nothing left but thousands of stumps and short posts and roots and debris. There seemed to be no trees left standing. They were few and far between.
That’s how the storms of life affect our faith sometimes. The ascending branches of our faith are cut off. We are uprooted, and there is nothing left but the embarrassing debris of a faith life that once towered tall. When we experience the storm that slams into our coast, we are left in the same condition as the disciples … with “no faith.”
As we get into this storm story in Mark 4 …
I. Let’s Notice The Panic In This Passage
A. The Panic Could Be Verified By The Witnesses
1. These Other Little Ships Remind Us That Spectators Are Sometimes Looking At Our Lives
(Mark 4:36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
Mark is the only one that mentions these “other little ships.” J. W. McGarvey said, “The owners of these boats had probably been using them to get near to Jesus as he preached. They are probably mentioned to show that a large number witnessed the miracle when Jesus stilled the tempest.”
“And there were also with him other little ships” - with passengers, probably, wishing to accompany Him.
(Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)
2. These Other Little Ships Remind Us That Storms Are Sometimes Localized In Our Lives
(Mark 4:37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
We’re only told that their ship was affected. These other little ships must not have been affected by the storm.
I was watching Day of Discovery with Mart DeHaan and Jimmy De Young, and they were talking about the importance of water in the Holy Land. One Jewish man talked about seeing a downpour of rain right over a certain section of the Sea of Galilee while on the shore it was clear and dry.
The storms of life often affect one person and not another.
B. The Panic Could Be Vindicated (Justified) By The Winds And Waves
There is a sense in which their concerns about the wind and waves were justified from a human standpoint.
1. Let’s Think About The Existing Danger Of The Wind And Waves
(Mark 4:37-38) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. {38} And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
(Matthew 8:24) And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
(Luke 8:23) But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
The logic of Luke expresses that they “were in jeopardy” which means that they truly were in a dangerous situation.
2. Let’s Think About The Explained Danger Of The Wind And Waves
Ray Stedman who pastored Peninsula Bible Church wrote…
When the account says that the Lord rebuked the wind and spoke to the sea, “Be muzzled, Be quiet!” we need to understand that he was not really speaking to the elements. After all, what good does it do to address the air as it is flowing by? Or to speak to water that is raging? I think of the story of the king who tried to stop the tides, commanded them to cease, and they ignored him, as tides will, and came rolling right on in. No, I do not think our Lord was really speaking to these elements of air and sea. What we need to understand from this is that he, knowing so clearly and so well that which is invisible to us and which we so often forget, spoke rather to the demonic forces behind the raging of the storm and the sea.
There may be an indication of this in the sequence of events, because right after this is when they encounter the demoniac of Gadara.
Albert Barnes says in his commentary…
The following remarks by Dr. Thomson, long a resident in Syria, and familiar with the scenes which occur there, will farther illustrate this passage, and the parallel account in Matt 8:18-27, and also the passage in Matt 14:23-32. The extract which follows is taken from “The land and the Book,” vol. ii. p. 32, 33: “To understand the causes of these sudden and violent tempests, we must remember that the lake lies low-600 feet lower than the ocean; that the vast and naked plateaus of the Jaulan rise to a great height, spreading backward to the wilds of the Hauran and upward to snowy Hermon; that the water-courses have cut out profound ravines and wild gorges, converging to the head of this lake, and that these act like gigantic “funnels” to draw down the cold winds from the mountains.
(From Barnes’ Notes)
These vulnerable, low places create storms in our lives as well.
There may be more involved in our storm situations than we are really aware of. (Mom talking about that strange feeling – a sense of demonic oppression in the middle of the night.)
C. The Panic Could Be Visible In The Worry
1. There Is A Frustration In Their Worry
(Mark 4:38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Not only are they in danger, but it seems to them that Jesus doesn’t care.
2. There Is A Flurry In Their Worry
(Matthew 8:25) And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
(Mark 4:38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
(Luke 8:24) And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
J. W. McGarvey says that rather than the statements from the three accounts being three ways of stating the expression of one person, “there was a babble of confused voices, betraying the extreme agitation of (several of) the disciples.”
II. Let’s Notice The Peace In This Passage
A. We See The Rising Christ
1. I Can’t Help But Be Curious About His Resting
(Psalms 121:4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
(Mark 4:38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow (a sheep fleece rolled up): and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
asleep – Greek 2518. katheudo, kath-yoo'-do; from G2596 and heudo (to sleep); to lie down to rest, i.e. (by impl.) to fall asleep (lit. or fig.):--(be a-) sleep.
We shouldn’t be surprised at His need for physical rest because of His demanding schedule, especially as it is described in Mark’s gospel. Immediately this and immediately that…
As Craig Edwards wrote in his song, “He was so much man that He slept in a boat, yet He was so much God that the wind ceased when he spoke.”
2. I Can’t Help But Be Comforted By His Response
(Mark 4:39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
arose – Greek 1326. diegeiro, dee-eg-i'-ro; from G1223 and G1453; to wake fully, i.e. arouse (lit. or fig.):--arise, awake, raise, stir up.
He didn’t rub His eyes, or press the snooze button, or roll back over and complain that they had woke Him up. No, He awakened fully and immediately.
B. We See The Rebuking Command
1. It’s As If He Spanked The Winds
(Mark 4:39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
rebuked – Greek 2008. epitimao, ep-ee-tee-mah'-o; from G1909 and G5091; to tax upon, i.e. reprimand or admonish; by impl. forbid:--(straitly) charge, rebuke.
2. It’s As If He Silenced The Winds
(Mark 4:39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Peace – Greek 4623. siopao, see-o-pah'-o; from siope (silence, i.e. a hush; prop. muteness, i.e. involuntary stillness, or inability to speak; and thus differing from G4602, which is rather a voluntary refusal or indisposition to speak, although the terms are often used synonymously); to be dumb (but not deaf also, like G2974 prop.); fig. to be calm (as quiet water):--dumb, (hold) peace.
Illustration: Mrs. McCall hollering at their dogs to “Hush!” The term here is stronger than that. It actually means to muzzle the waves so that they couldn’t continue to rage even if they wanted to.
C. We See The Resulting Calm
(Mark 4:39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
1. The Winds Ceased
ceased – Greek 2869. kopazo, kop-ad'-zo; from G2873; to tire, i.e. (fig.) to relax:--cease. Jesus just wore them out.
2. The Waves Calmed
great – Greek 3173. megas, meg'-as [includ. the prol. forms, fem. megale, plur. megaloi, etc.; comp. also G3176, G3187]; big (lit. or fig., in a very wide application):--(+ fear) exceedingly, great (-est), high, large, loud, mighty, + (be) sore (afraid), strong, X to years.
calm – Greek 1055. galene, gal-ay'-nay; of uncert. der.; tranquility:--calm.
The very thing that brought peace into this situation is the very thing that can bring peace into our storm environment … the word of the Lord.
(Psalms 119:165) Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend (ruin) them.
Let me highlight a couple of verses that are very applicable right here…
(Philippians 4:6-7) Be careful (anxious, worried) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. {7} And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
III. Let’s Notice The Point In This Passage
A. This Account Seems To Magnify Our Dread
(Mark 4:40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
1. Let’s Consider The “Why” Of Their Fear
why – Greek 5101. tis, tis; this is an interrogative pronoun used in direct or indirect questions. The Greek term is translated in the New Testament into such terms as “how,” “what,” “where,” “which,” “who,” and “why.”
Jesus never asks questions because He does not know the answers. He doesn’t ask to learn, but to teach.
2. Let’s Consider The Worry Of Their Fear
Sometimes in the New Testament, the word fear and afraid is the Greek term phobos, but here the term fearful is…
fearful – Greek 1169. deilos, di-los'; from deos (dread); timid, i.e. (by implication) faithless:--fearful.
dread (drµd) v. dread·ed, dread·ing, dreads. --tr. 1. To be in terror of. 2. To anticipate with alarm, distaste, or reluctance (American Heritage Dictionary)
B. This Account Seems To Magnify Our Deficiency
(Mark 4:40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
4459. pos, poce; adv. from the base of G4426; an interrog. particle of manner; in what way? (sometimes the question is indirect, how?); also as exclamation, how much!:--how, after (by) what manner (means), that. [Occasionally unexpressed in English.]
4426. pturo, ptoo'-ro; from a presumed der. of G4429 (and thus akin to G4422); to frighten:--terrify.
1. There Was An Absence Of Persuasion
You’ll notice that after Jesus had rebuked the wind and commanded the sea to “be still,” in verse 40, “He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” According to the Strong’s Concordance, the word “no” is an absolute negative, and the fact that He said “no faith” indicates that the disciples’ faith was totally diminished as a result of the storm that they had just encountered.
I heard an interesting story about having faith in the captain of the boat…
They say Robert Louis Stevenson told the story first. It’s worth retelling: It seems a storm caught a seafaring vessel off a rocky coast. The wind and waves threatened to drive the boat to its destruction.
In the midst of the terror, one daring passenger, contrary to orders, made his way across the ship. Groping along a passageway, he found the pilot house. There he beheld an intriguing sight; the ship’s pilot was lashed to his post. Secure against the raging elements, he held the wheel fast, turning the ship, inch by inch, once more out to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled.
The daring passenger found his way below deck where other passengers huddled. Encouragingly, he said, “I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well.”
© 2001 Steve Goodier
Faith would have revealed that if the storm was not disturbing the Lord as He slept, it shouldn’t disturb them either.
2. There Had Been An Assurance Of Passage
And besides, He had already told them that they were going to pass over to the other side.
(Mark 4:35) And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
C. This Account Seems To Magnify Our Distance
(Mark 4:41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
This word “manner” has the idea of drawing a conclusion.
What conclusion were they supposed to make about this man? What were they supposed to think about Him? Their question emphasizes the fact that they didn’t know Him as well as they should. Therefore, they didn’t understand His nature and power as well as they should.
Conclusion
I think Charles Allen said it first. “When faced with problems which threaten to steal your peace of mind, learn the meaning of the word ‘imperturbability.’”
I heard of two artists who were asked to illustrate peace. Each was assigned the task of depicting a peaceful scene on canvas. The first artist drew a beautiful picture of a countryside on a warm, spring day. A soft sun illumines green grass. A picturesque farmhouse and grazing cattle are bathed in its warmth. A farmer walks contentedly behind strong plow horses making his field ready for spring planting. The picture is one of beauty and quiet tranquility.
The other artist took a different approach. He drew a majestic, rugged cliff. Gnarled trees, twisted by years of violent winds, jut from the craggy mountainside. Dark clouds hang low and fierce while jagged streaks of lightening slash across an angry sky. The picture is one of violence, chaos, and rage.
But as one looks closely, something else becomes visible. There in one of the crevices of the rocky mountain, tucked back just out of reach of the wind and rain—a nest with two small birds. Apparently unconcerned about the impending storm, they appear calm, cozy and peaceful as they patiently wait for the turbulence to pass.
And isn’t that the way it so often is? We may want to be surrounded by peace, but storms rage. Problems and pressures without threaten to steal peace of mind within.
The answer is imperturbability: inner peace, which doesn’t leave when, circumstances change. It’s a peace, which is greater than the problems of life, built on assurance that the tempest will finally pass, we will survive the storm, and we may grow stronger because of it, and, in the meantime, we will not endure it alone. Imperturbability—it’s the result of a peace which passes understanding. For serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.