Saturday, November 21, 2009

Little Boats



Sometimes, I see something new in an old story that I've read many times.

I was reading Mark 4:35-41. Mark tells the story about the disciples crossing the sea and Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.( I'm glad He had a pillow.) 
Well, a terrible storm rose up and the disciples were getting scared. The boat was filling up with water. They woke Jesus up and said, "Don't you care that we're about to die?" 
So He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind quieted down and everything was calm again.

Then He turned to them and wondered aloud, "Why were you so fearful? Don't you have faith?" They were amazed and said, "Who can this be? Even the winds and the waves obey Him."
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This is what I never saw before. When they were initially leaving the multitude and getting into their boat
other little boats were also with Him on their journey to the other side.

These other little boats didn't have Jesus sleeping in them when the storm arose. The people in those boats were deeply affected by the storm and by Jesus' calming of the storm. But, if the disciples hadn't woken Him up, what would have happened to them? Perhaps my faith is small too. Perhaps nobody could drown in a sea in which there was a boat with Jesus in it.

I am thinking about this in light of today's economic and political situation.
  I am thinking about the spiritual pressure on the Body of Christ
and the crisis' in homes.
I am thinking that no man is an island onto himself.
 No one has the only boat on stormy waters.

Sometimes, it seems like Jesus is asleep in our boat. We're thankful that He is in our boat, but it seems like He is not caring that we might perish. Perhaps He is looking for faith that believes in Him even if we perish.

Should we let Him sleep or should we wake Him up?
Should we trust that He cannot drown when He is asleep or awake,
so if He is in our boat, we will not drown either?

What about the other 'little boats' who are also making the journey to the other side?
Will they make it to the other side in this storm?
Jesus might not be in their boats.
Is He in their storm?

Should we cry out for their sakes?
Can we wake Him up and still have faith
or should we snuggle up beside Him and sleep
on His pillow
while the waves toss us about?

I want to understand why He asked about their faith.
Did He think they should have calmed the sea?
I don't think He had given them the authority of His name at that point.
He was still showing them that He was God.

I guess I will be who I am-
Fully human and somewhat scared.
I think I will cry out and wake Him up
because not everyone has Him in their boat,
and this storm could put them under.

I will risk His rebuke and trust that my faith will grow
as I see Him rouse from His sleep and speak peace to this storm.

Perhaps, then, the other little boats will have
a greater chance of making it to the other side.

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