Mark 4:41

They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" ~Mark 4:41 NAS

The sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains. Warm moist air rises and meets with the cooler air rushing through mountain passes above and sudden convection storms can arise with little or no notice. See the disciples and Jesus out on a little boat. No lighthouses on the shore, no markers -- it is pitch black dark. The storm arises and the disciples are terrified.

Just a few quick observations:

• "the boat was filling up" 4:37 - Warren Wiersbe points out a rather obvious fact here. Just what do boats full of water do? They certainly don't remain on the surface; they SINK! Your boat may be awash with water, but if Christ is in your boat - - even if it is loaded to the sky with lead bricks -- it's going to keep on floating.
• "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 4:38 - Were they perishing? The boat's afloat. They are with Jesus. I like the late Adrian Roger's acrostic definition of "fear" - False Evidences Appearing Real. They were wet, they were whipped by the wind - but they were in the boat with the Creator and Master of the seas and waves.
• "Hush be still." 4:39 - When the Lord speaks it is with total authority. He does not negotiate with the wind, He does not dialog with the waves, He does not present ten reasons why the elements should obey Him. He speaks three succinct words. I heard one commentator say that the Greek gives the impression of "sit down and shut up"
• "And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm" - He speaks and it is done. What a comfort, what a great source of peace. If you've ever been near a large body of water (or even a moderate size one), you know that the waves continue to pound the shore long after the storm has subsided. When Jesus speaks the winds AND the waves lay at His feet like whipped puppies.
• "And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?". 4:40 - The problem in verse 35 is exposed here in verse 40. Fear had overtaken faith. They had been taken out into the water of trial and faith was drown out by the howling voice of fear. Jesus said in verse 35, "Let us go to the other side." When Jesus says that you are going to the other side, you are GOING. There is no hurricane, tornado or other natural element that is going to thwart His will. That sea could have turned into quick setting concrete and they would have gone to the other side!
  
• "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" - Who indeed. They did more than get to the other side. They got to a new and deeper understanding of God's power. They graduated to a greater trust in Jesus. He is Master of the boat - even when it is full of water and battered by the wind. He is Master of the destination - He will take us to the other side.

Pax