The Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth at approximately 680 feet below sea level, and it is surrounded by hills. It measures 21 km in length, and 13 km in width, and has a maximum depth of 43 metres. Winds blowing across the land intensify close to the sea, often causing violent and unexpected storms. I was made aware of this during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2018 when I stayed at a kibbutz located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and spent time on a boat out on the lake with some of the local people.
The author of the Gospel of Mark tells the story of such a violent and unexpected storm that arises when Jesus and his disciples are crossing from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other. Mark suggests that Jesus is sleeping comfortably on a cushion in the stern of the boat they are in when the boat is suddenly almost swamped by waves. Jesus is sleeping so comfortably that he isn’t even disturbed by the sudden violent storm, and in fact, he is only woken by his panicked disciples who are convinced they are about to drown. Jesus calmly commands the wind to be quiet and the waves to be still, and they both obey him.
What might Mark be trying to tell his audience with this story? I think the first point he is making is the complete and total trust that Jesus has in God. Jesus is able to sleep soundly because he knows that God will not permit any harm to come to him or the disciples. Contrast this with the reaction of the disciples, who have been with Jesus for some time now and have witnessed him perform several feats of healing, but who still clearly don’t understand who Jesus is. That is the second point Mark makes.
The third point is that Jesus operates with the power of God. The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) are full of references to God alone having the power to control the sea. Note the language used in Psalm 89 in relation to God’s power over the sea, “You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.” (Psalm 89:9 NIV11) Mark use similar language in the words ascribed to Jesus stilling the storm, ‘He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.’ (Mark 4:39 NIV11)
Members of the early church community that Mark was writing to may have been facing difficulties in the form of persecution or oppression because they were followers of Jesus. The message that Mark was giving them was to put their trust in Jesus and God is time of such difficulties.
What learning might we in the twenty-first century take from the story of Jesus calming the storm? The Christian life may have more stormy weather than calm seas. As followers of Jesus we need to be prepared for the storms that will surely come. The key is to not surrender to the stress, but to remain resilient and recover from setbacks. With faith in Jesus, we can trust and move ahead. When the storms of life approach, we can lean into the wind and trust God.
