afraid

Mark 4

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,

      "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."

36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).

37 But soon a fierce storm came up.

High waves were breaking into the boat,

     and it began to fill with water.


38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.

The disciples woke him up, shouting,

     "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?"


39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!"

Suddenly the wind stopped,

     and there was a great calm.

40 Then he asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?"


41 The disciples were absolutely terrified.

       "Who is this man?" they asked each other.

        "Even the wind and waves obey him!"



So, the disciples were in the boat in a storm, with Jesus asleep in the back, & they were afraid they were gonna capsize.

Capsize with the son of God asleep in the back?

Like God was gonna let them all drown, even God's son?

Yeah, we see the absurdity of that thought process - now.

But I wonder if we'd have thought that if we had been there at the time?

Ya see, we know the end of the story - we know that Jesus died & rose again - we know He's the son of God.

These were raw boned fishermen, with not a lot of education or life experience.

Even though they'd seen a lot of miraculous stuff & heard Jesus talk about all kinds of things, they'd only been disciples for 4 chapters in the gospel of Mark.

And can you imagine what they thought when this guy they'd been eating, sleeping, walking, & talking with, gets up & tells the storm to cut it out - & the storm stops?!


But we know the end of the story of Jesus' life. We know He's the son of God.

But how many of us live lives of fear & worry?

Worry & fret, paralyzed to be & do anything...


Those two sentences of Jesus' really put a finger on me this morning.

Why am I so afraid some times about things in the present, and in the future, too?

God put His finger on that part of me that is afraid, or worries, or frets, or is scared.

And He just whispered "why are you so afraid?"


It's a trust thing...

     I'm so afraid because I don't trust Him...

     I don't think He'll come through...

     I think if I worry & fret & try & figure things out & try to work things out,

        then maybe everything will turn out ok &/or the way I want them to.


I'm afraid because I don't trust Him.

I'm afraid that even though I believe He's with me & is aware of what's going on, that He's not gonna do anything about it.


But I don't need to be afraid.

The person who is with me is the God of the universes.

In my head I know He can take care of my prissy little life.

I just have to believe it in my heart, completely.


Yeah, God put His finger on me this morning...

Anybody else out there afraid?