A haunting- 4:36-41

Other boats were with him- I've always thought of this story as just the one boat with Jesus and the twelve- but bigger than that- a few boats there- perhaps at least 40 or 50 people?
So there's a 'party' as all those Jane Austen type books would write. They are well on their way to being on the 'inside'- they have listened to a lot of Jesus teaching by this stage- seen many of the happenings in Capernaum- have 'hung out' with Jesus in contexts like this one. We've come to the evening – a far more pleasant part of the day- things have become a bit more sane- the crowd has gone. There's probably experienced fisherman handling each of the boats- (who else would go out in boats there?) Jesus goes to sleep on the proskefalaion (DBAG an object on which one may rest one's head, pillow- puts that may have this meaning here – but then says a sailors cushion is just as likely) and for the rest I think it would be that vibe of its being a big day- we can now experience the restfulness of evening among friends while we talk about what this man said. Then there comes a great windsquall lailaps megale anemou- the waves are breaking over the boat – so that the boat was already filling. So if I'm right – and the vibe was something like that before the storm comes- it gets shattered – and each of those boats is fighting for their lives. (Tommo tells how there are signs at carparks on the western shore of the lake today, warning that waves can swamp cars parked at the lake) And not surprisingly perhaps- Peter forgets all about those other boats, and the story focuses in on their boat. They battle the storm for a bit (they are fishermen- they know how to handle themselves- and Jesus keeps sleeping in the stern (maybe not a very big 'bit') – And this seems to be one of the most amazing things about this story- how on earth would you sleep through something like that- the movement, the noise, getting splashed... Jesus must have been incredibly tired- at the end of his physical resources- that tiredness that comes from a big day of teaching (feel much more wrecked than a day of lawn mowing). (perhaps there is a picture here of a life being fully spent- the present duty done, serving the father of the universe, who gives sleep to his beloved- why be anxious...)
Most things happen fast in Mark- and by the time he's described the storm briefly the boat is already filling with water. So they wake up the sleeping teacher – how did this happen? Peter at the tiller? some yelling to those closest? the natural sort of space given to a respected figure is gone – this has become life and death- they rouse him and say, 'Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?- an interesting question- on the spur of the moment in a crisis- but he's not a fisherman- so there's no appeal there to a sleeping captain as such, I suppose a crisis means that people often look to the most level headed- perhaps there's an element of 'it can't end this way' – they are following Jesus- have sensed something big and important is happening- and now they're going to drown in the lake... mostly I imagine self preservation- have tried conventional means- have tried our own resources- not up to it- so we'll look beyond that- and pray- or trying waking Jesus up.

Jesus wakes up, and rebukes the wind and says to the sea- keep silent- be still. and it happens. As though the wind and the waves were out of line- or maybe he just wanted to talk with the disciples in the boat. The wind drops and there is a great calm. That's a very quick change in your situation (Mark must have loved this story) One moment there's all the noise, movement and adrenaline of a massive storm- with you in a boat that looks like its about to go under- in the very next moment, there is no movement, no noise, you're just sitting in a boat with a man who commanded the storm to stop- and it did. And into that experience, into that stillness, comes Jesus voice, Ti deiloi este; oupw echete pistin; Two brief questions- why are you fearful (or cowardly)? Have you still no faith?

There is no- that was a pretty big storm wasn't it? Just the biggest lesson they had had all day on God's rule and this man who was inaugerating it. And they feared a great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?”
One fear replaced with another. This fear was a little more unknown- what are your limits? They'd seen some amazing things already- often happening to other people- you're in the middle of this- and it's bigger than a person with a sickness or a demon- Changing the weather on such a scale is a high order miracle, perhaps they thought they were getting a bit of a handle on Jesus- but that has all just gone out the window- and they know they know very little about who this man in the boat with them is- and how far his authority extends- And that uncertainty coupled with the demonstration of power they have just witnessed, terrifies them.

Those in the other boats- what's happening for them? They are one step removed- but would have also experienced the storm to stillness shift- and then I imagine heard the indignant? voice of Jesus cutting through the silence- and then perhaps been glad that they were not in the same boat.

They'd all just experienced a haunting. - Where something you hope is not true- turns out to be real- where half formed fears, materialised into something solid in front of them- and things turned out to be more complicated and less safe than they thought- and now they had to live with that- not knowing where its going to go.


Jesus goes to the heart of the issue- why be afraid when the Father is in control? Or when Jesus is in the boat with you? Where is your sight, perspective, common sense, faith, Mawson.

He wanted to build big things on the disciples faith- it was almost as though he was waiting for Peter's declaration- you are the Messiah, to move on to teaching them further things- the son of man must suffer and die and on the third day rise again. And he wants to build things on our faith as well.