15 March - Singing in the rain

Reading:
Mark 4

At the end of another long day of ministry, Jesus and his band of not-so-merry men crossed over the Sea of Galilee in search of some much needed rest and personal space. Jesus fell asleep in the boat probably straight away. If the disciples were looking forward to a bit of a respite themselves they were about to be disappointed, for the storm that mounted rose to become life-threatening. As their fear escalated into sheer panic, they woke Jesus. He stilled the storm and then sleepily turned to question his freaked out men for their fear and lack of faith. They were obviously not listening to his teaching that day. My guess is that Jesus went straight back to sleep.

My gut feeling is that Jesus was a bit harsh in this instance. Fear is a valid response to a massive storm if you're sitting in a tub of planks in the middle of some sea. Earlier that day however, in his Parable of the Sower, Jesus listed three things that will render our lives unfruitful; three things that can cause us to stand before God one day with empty hands: The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things. The test that the disciples failed that day was that they succumbed to the worries of this life.

How we choose to handle ourselves in the face of crises is evidently very important - in fact, it seems that it may have eternal consequences for us. We all find ourselves in threatening situations from time to time, whether it be related to health, finances, relationships or physical security. Being alive means that there is an ever-present host of potential looming disasters. There is a natural response to threat that is common to all except the psychos. God however implores us not to respond in natural terms to impending threat. He pointed to the lilies in the field and birds in the air to emphasize his commitment to look after us. Maybe the whole point of the dramatic episode on the boat was that Jesus wanted to show us that he is quite capable of handling our storms (in his sleep, so to speak).

To trust when evidence suggests the contrary is a choice, and not an easy one. It requires something from us. In the face of looming, impending threat, the question is not whether God will take care of us, but whether we will trust him to. More depends on it than we think.