And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” vs. 41
Mark 4:39-41
Mark concludes this little story of the stormy sea with a question and his intention in using it is clear. Centuries before in Psalm 107 the psalmist had written, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” With the disciples’ question Mark is giving a clear indication to his readers that Jesus is the Lord. There could be no doubt. The scriptures were clear—it was only the Lord who could order the wind to cease and calm the waters of the sea. During the course of Jesus’ ministry there were many others who came to this conclusion, and who believed that no one could do the signs that Jesus was doing apart from the presence of God. Many in our time would love to see those kinds of signs too. From their perspective the seeing would make believing a whole lot easier. Unfortunately faith that is dependent on signs has proven to be notoriously unreliable, and when there are no signs the tendency is for faith to disappear completely. In fact those who seem to have the strongest faith often report that they have seen no signs at all. Paradoxically, the absence of signs has made their faith unshakeable!
Thought for the Day: What strengthens my faith?
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