Walking into the Dark

 

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41 ESV).

 

Yesterday I wrote about taking one step at a time in the faith that God knows precisely where to lead us keeping us safe and secure. Today I want to acknowledge how difficult that is to do. Walking into the dark is always a foreboding, trying exercise. Our reading illustrates this truth. Imagine Jesus’ disciples on the open water, rowing feverishly to keep their boat afloat, which is no small task when everything is moving like a roller coaster out of control. And, remember these were professional fishermen used to the rough seas of Galilee. They were terrified.

 

Mark indicates that this trip was Jesus’ idea in the first place. He’d suggested it; then he had curled up and gone to sleep. Jesus led his disciples into the crisis. This was no accident. While the disciples were following Jesus in his teaching ministry, Jesus was a step ahead, preparing them for continuing his work later. They could not have imagined Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension (cf. Mark 15-16; Acts 1), or the coming of his Holy Spirit, who would lead them to bring the gospel across the Roman Empire (cf. Acts 2-28). No, at this point they just wanted to survive the storm and see their families again. Little did they know that God had so much more for them.

 

Jesus’ followers had a lot to learn: the kinds of things they could discover only in storms. It’s one thing to tell a group of fishermen about Christ’s power; it’s another to show them. What seemed at first to be just a really bad night was actually an opportunity to experience something about Christ that no one could have explained with mere words.

Jesus led them into a storm so that they could see him like never before. It should not surprise us that the stormy future that threatens us is also in God’s plan. It should not surprise us that God often only gives us enough “light” for one step at a time. Trust in Him… He’s got this!