PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Mark 4:40

“Have you still no faith?"

The Master sails on a small fishing boat with His student. They are crossing the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35). As a great storm arises almost filling the boat with water (Mark 4:37), the disciples begin to be swamped and feel in danger (Luke 8:23). The Master sleeps soundly in the stern of the boat. This passage alludes to Jonah’s story which narrates, But Adonai hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep (Jonah 1:4-5). In both stories the main character sleeps peacefully during a dangerous storm; terrified sailors awaken the sleeper and rebuke him; the principal character has the solution to the danger; the storm miraculously calms down; the sailors are amazed; and the boats in both stories are on route to a gentile city; the fact that in Mark’s account the disciples meet a pig herder tells us so.

From their cave carved in the rock, two demoniacs look down towards the lake below in fear and trembling. The spirits in them are panicking. They know exactly who is coming, And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us (Hebrew idiom for: ‘don’t meddle with us’), O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time" (Matthew 8:28-29)? Evil spirits know they look forward to a time of everlasting judgment (1 Enoch 10:13; 55:4). They were surprised to see Yeshua a bit early so they panicked and reminded the Master that their time had not arrived yet. Yeshua took pity on the poor victims and delivered them which created a mixed reaction among these gentiles. On the one hand they rejoiced for the healing, but it came at the cost of their herd.

Even so today the Master’s footsteps are heard and evil spirits fear in anticipation of their coming eternal fiery future. His people are being restored to the Land and His message crosses borders reaching all nations creating mixed reactions. Because he knows his time is at hand, the enemy fills the world with political, financial, social, theological and physical storms which creates fear but again the Master says, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith (Mark 4:40)”? The worst I fear is the storm of new technologies which floods our youth with evil media and ungodly relationships. The evil one tries to destroy the generation that will have to maybe face him before they even get a chance. He will actually succeed in establishing himself for a while, but only for awhile for the King of Kings rises to deliver His people, He will also deliver those of the nations and send the evil ones to their everlasting torment (Revelations 19:11-21).

May it come soon Abba, even in days!