As a teenager, I enjoyed a weekend treat of sailing on the Möhnesee—complete with the ever-increasing threat of getting knocked into the water as the boom swung over during a jibe.
I don’t know how you feel about sailing, but there are moments when life feels like a boat caught in a sudden storm—one minute, you’re floating peacefully, and the next, you’re gripping the sides, wondering if everything’s about to come apart. It’s a familiar pattern—we step out in life, certain of our direction and convinced we’ve heard God’s call to “go to the other side,” only to find ourselves in the thick of a storm—chaos, waves crashing over, and faith tested. But here’s the encouragement: sometimes, we experience the greatest revelations of God’s power and presence in those moments when the winds howl and the sky grows dark. It’s in the storm that we learn who’s really in control, and we discover that we are in good hands—God’s hands.
The Gospel of Mark shows us what it’s like when God sails with us. Mark 4:35 begins with a simple instruction: “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’” After a long day of teaching and responding to the crowd’s excited questions, Jesus decides it’s time for a refreshing change of scenery. If you’re one of the disciples, this probably sounds like a solid plan—a quiet sail, no crowds, just some time to unwind. But what unfolds next becomes the sort of adventure you only sign up for if you’ve left your sense of caution back on the shore.
The Sea of Galilee—a place where even the weather experts of the day would’ve struggled to keep up. Change never stays far away. The geography alone—a lake nestled 600 feet below sea level with mountains towering around it—creates the perfect recipe for sudden, violent storms, and sure enough, that’s exactly what happens. Jesus leads His disciples straight into the face of a tempest that throws these seasoned fishermen, men who know their way around a boat, into a state of absolute, desperate panic. And just to keep things interesting, when they need help, where is Jesus? Asleep. On a cushion. In the middle of a hurricane-like storm.
Lessons from a Sleeping Messiah
There’s something both comforting and, frankly, a bit baffling about the image of Jesus snoozing while His disciples verge on a breakdown. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” they shout (Mark 4:38). It’s the cry of panic, and perhaps you’ve uttered it yourself—not necessarily in a boat but certainly in the storms life throws your way. “God, are you seeing this? Because it’s a mess down here, and you seem awfully quiet.” The disciples’ reaction feels familiar: the anxiety of seeing things spiral out of control while God appears to take a break. How on earth can you sleep through a storm like this? But Jesus can—and does!
This is where Mark’s Gospel makes its point. Jesus wakes, rebukes the wind, and says to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39). Now, “rebuke” is a strong word—one you might use when telling off a child or maybe a dog that’s eaten everything in the fridge after the door wasn’t properly shut. But here, Jesus uses it on the wind. And, like an obedient dog, the storm calms instantly. The sea becomes as smooth as glass. Jesus performs more than a miracle; He declares who He is.
The Big Question: Who’s Really in Charge?
The disciples stare in stunned silence. “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” they ask (Mark 4:41). The realisation hits them: the man in the boat isn’t just a teacher or a prophet—He commands creation itself. Cue the awe. This moment makes you rethink everything you thought you knew.
First-century readers, many of whom navigated persecution themselves, would have felt the weight of this revelation. They faced storms as real as the one on the sea, and like the disciples, they must have wondered where Jesus was during their trials. Mark’s account makes it clear: He’s right there in the boat, even when He seems quiet. It’s something we all confront in life more than once. The storm may rage, but He remains unshaken—and that changes everything.
Fear vs Faith: Pick Your Side
Here’s the twist: the main problem isn’t the storm itself; it’s the disciples’ fear. Jesus asks, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Before we rush to defend them (and who wouldn’t panic when your boat’s sinking?), notice that Jesus doesn’t scold them for feeling fear—He challenges where they place their faith. Fear says, “It’s all going wrong, and no one’s in control.” Faith says, “The one who made the waves is here, and that’s enough.”
We live in a world that sells fear as standard. Look at any television newsfeed, and you’ll easily find plenty of reasons to worry. Jesus’ words, however, challenge us to look beyond the waves of life to the one who commands them. It’s not about pretending storms don’t exist—they do; it’s about knowing exactly who stands in the storm with you. Fear and faith can’t share the same boat. When one boards, the other has to leave.
The God Who Never Leaves
Here’s the good news: God doesn’t promise a storm-free life. That would be nice, but it’s not the offer He makes. What He does promise is His presence. The same God who spoke to the sea speaks into your life today. Whether you’re facing a global crisis, a personal struggle, or just the daily grind, His word remains: “Do not fear.” It’s not a call to blissful ignorance but to a faith that sees beyond the chaos.
Faith in Jesus doesn’t align with anxious fear. It invites us to see the bigger picture—the one where the God of all creation holds control, even when the winds howl. If you’ve been feeling like the disciples, clutching with white knuckles to the sides of your boat, wondering where God is, remember: He’s right there, even when He seems silent. And when He speaks, everything changes.
Faith: The Right Kind of Fear
Interestingly, after the storm calms, Mark notes that the disciples “feel great fear” (Mark 4:41). It’s not the panicked fear they felt moments earlier. This is pure awe—the kind of reverence that arises when you realise you’re in the presence of something overwhelming and far beyond your understanding. Faith isn’t about being fearless; it’s about having the right kind of fear. Not the anxious kind that worries about tomorrow, but the reverent kind that knows who holds tomorrow.
A Call to Trust
So, what’s the takeaway here? It’s simple, yet profound: trust the one in the boat. The God who commands the wind and waves walks with you through every storm. Life’s storms aren’t about the chaos they create; they reveal who we trust and where our faith lies. The invitation is to see beyond the waves and focus on the God who has authority over them.
Are you caught in a storm today? Ask yourself: is your faith drowning under the waves, or does it anchor itself in the one who calms them?
The storms may not disappear overnight, but remember—Jesus is in the boat with you, and that makes all the difference.
