About Mark: The title of the comment is "In moments like these...." In moments like these you need Jesus. Mark has given us a cluster of parables which show the remarkable manner by which Jesus taught. Each parable conveys an important insight.
Now Mark gives us a cluster of miracles to show the other notable means of knowing about Jesus, his miracles. Four miracles show the mastery of Jesus over the four realms which defeat us all; nature, the demonic, sickness, and death.
The stories are told to show how the best of human effort is just not good enough. The storm reduces professional boaties to terror. No-one could restrain the demoniac, even with chains (5:3). The sick woman had been under "many physicians" (5:26) yet continues to deteriorate. A girl in the prime of youth is struck down to death.
In each situation of human extremity, when all else fails, Jesus demonstrates his sovereign mastery!
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Comment: IN MOMENTS LIKE THESE
The climax of the storm story indicates its purpose, "they were filled with great awe and said to one another, `Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?'" The lesson from the experience is that Jesus is the master of creation. It obeys him. And the same amazement is reported after the other events, in 5:20 and 5:42.
Fear and faith are linked in this series (4:40, 5:15, 5:33-34, 5:36). The fear of the Lord is a healthy recognition that humans are human and God is God. Of course there can be a panicky kind of fear where faith is absent. But genuine faith will always have elements of fear and awe. Fear overtakes us when we recognise that things are out of our control, that our human control is limited. Fear relates to faith when we recognise that things are out of our control; faith is an assured confidence that things are in God's control.
So fear is healthy when it leads to faith; and in these four stories, where human powerlessness produces fear, Jesus leads people on towards faith that recognises his mastery.
Discipleship today: Putting this in today's setting, these stories are designed to cultivate faith, trust, belief, and confidence in Jesus. The dialogue between the disciples of Jesus is true to life. To all appearances, he is asleep until you call on him. But when he speaks there is calmness. Fear and faith remain mingled. But he makes you think, about him and about your faith!
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