Mark 3, 4

January 14, 2011

Mark 3,4

Overview:  Jesus has conflicts with the Phrarisees, teaches alongside the Sea of Galilee and anoints the disciples on a mountain.  And for good measure teaches some more along the Sea of Galilee and then calms a storm on the sea as they cross from one side to the other.

There a mentions of a "great multitude"(3:7), "the crowd"(3:20), "a very large crowd"(4:1), and "leaving the crowd"(4:36).  The constant reminder of the people that are drawn to Jesus gives a sense of the atmosphere that surrounded these early days of his ministry as word got out about him and what he was doing.  "He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him."(3:9,10)  Word has spread around the region about Jesus so that those who are suffering are turning out in numbers to see if what they hear is true.  Mark 4 has a similar mention of Jesus teaching from a boat.  The culminating story of Mark 4 comes at the end of a day of ministry and Jesus desiring to leave the crowd behind tells the disciples "Let us cross to the other side." 
They begin to cross the sea and Jesus, exhausted from the days work, falls asleep in the boat.  A storm blows up, the disciples become fearful and turning to Jesus see that he is sleeping.  One might wonder how Jesus is able to sleep through a storm that frightens the disciples, with several seasoned fishermen among them, but in the context of the relentless ministry with the crowd it becomes understandable - he's worn out.  As the boat is "swamped" the disciples awaken Jesus, he responds to them by calming the storm and gives the disciples something to think about "Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?"(4:39).  Jesus is challenging them to think of all they have witnessed already, the teaching and the healing and asking them to begin to trust that they are in good hands when he is around.
The story transfers to us quite readily.  We have the stories of Jesus' action in Scripture.  We have the experience of Jesus' work in our faith communities and in our lives.  Yet we too, come to the storms of life, and if we are honest we will confess that when those storms come we can become paniced at times.  In that moment Jesus words are for us, "Why are you afraid.  Have you still no faith?" It is less, perhaps, admonition, then a reminder that Jesus is right where he always is - in the boat with us.  We are in good hands when he is around.