He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” – Mark 4:39-41 NIV
I love this account. Jesus and his disciples were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm came up. While the disciples frantically fought to control the boat and keep it afloat, Jesus had been rocked to sleep by the waves. Finally, in a panic, the disciples woke Jesus up and accused him of indifference to their plight. I can just picture one of them holding a bucket in his hand, expecting Jesus to start bailing. Or at least do something to help them. But they certainly were not expecting what they got from him.
Jesus got up, turned into the wind, and, like a parent, said, “Knock it off.” And suddenly the wind was still, and the surface of the sea was as flat as a mirror. Then he turned to his disciples and chastened them for their lack of faith.
Who Is This Man?
The disciple’s response is both comical, and instructive. If anything, they are more scared now than when the storm had been raging. Why? Because they suddenly realized that this man they had been following was much more than they had supposed him to be. The ability to command the wind and waves demonstrated very clearly that he was more than just a teacher or healer.
Who is this who can command even the wind and the waves? None other than the creator of the wind and waves, along with everything else (Col. 1:15-16). The same one who can see me safely through all the winds and the waves of life that sometimes buffet me.
