#Retrospective, this post originally published October 2, 2018.
Fear is an interesting thing. It can create great stress in the midst of troubles and cause us to panic. Yet fear can also protect us from harm and create a proper respect for authority. In Mark 4:35-41 we have the familiar story about fear where the disciples are in the boat with Jesus when a “furious squall came up (verse 37).”
At the beginning of Mark 4 Jesus pushed off in a boat on a lake to address the crowds pressed against the shore. Here he taught the parable of the farmer sowing seed where he explained to his disciples in verse 17, “When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” He continued to teach and then by evening Jesus and his disciples pushed off in the boat to cross to the other side of the lake (verse 35-36).
Here are the disciples with the son of God sleeping in their boat. They’ve just listened to a full day of Jesus teaching to large crowds. Who wouldn’t think it should be smooth sailing ahead with Jesus along for the ride? But in an instant a storm popped up and nearly swamped the boat (verse 37). Their faith is tested and their first response is to accuse Jesus of not caring what happens to them. A moment later Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, then he rebuked his disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith (verse 40)?”
Why are we so afraid of the people and forces of this world? So often we respond like the disciples in the midst of the storms that pop up in life by crying out to God to do something saying, “Don’t you care?” In the calm after the storm, when the disciples saw the power of God at work, then they had a fear of the Lord. “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him (verse 41)!’”
I find it interesting how in this passage Jesus took the disciples from fear of the storm to being “terrified” of him. They acquired a proper reverence of God asking, “Who is this?” We should have the same awe and reverence of our Lord, placing our fear before the Lord Jesus and resting in him in the midst of the storms of life. Joshua 24:14 tells us, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness (NIV).”
© 2018, Chris G. Thelen
140 Character Christian 
Amen! The message from Mark 4 is timeless in its application to our lives.
Reminds me of Hebrews 4:12:
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
Thanks for the acknowledgment.
Wow. Jesus tells us to not fear those who can kill only the body and not the soul (Matthew 10:28) and to fear God the one who can destroy both soul and body
A great read.
Amen! Another good verse to go with this post. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
“Who is this?” and “What wondrous LOVE is this?” are probably two of the most important questions to settle in my mind and heart as I seek to grow in faith.
Well said.
Jesus turns all our human perspectives upside-down. No wonder the disciples were terrified.
And yet, how many times does God admonish us, “Fear not”? He really does want us to have the same peace that Jesus had in that boat. The apostle Paul had an inkling about that, I think.
Amen! “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25
Thanks for the verse from Proverbs. So true.