One of my favorite Bible stories is one where Jesus and the disciples cross from one side of the sea of Galilee to the other. While Jesus dozes at the back of the boat, a storm blows in. Fearing for their lives, the disciples wake Jesus with terse, frantic cries: “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). Jesus rebukes the wind and tells the sea to shut up. His actions say to his followers, then and now, no matter what storms we face: “Yes, of course I care! I’m right here in the boat with you, aren’t I?”
Then Jesus asks, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40). The Greek word for faith, pistis, means to have trust, that is, confidence in the reliability of the one who is trusted. Jesus seems to suggest that the disciples are letting fear get in the way of their ability to trust God, despite all that they have seen and known in their relationship with Jesus. Despite the disciples’ fear, however, and even in the face of their accusing prayer, Jesus can be trusted to remain beside them.
This message is excerpted from “Closer to God” by Audrey West in the July/August 2018 Gather magazine.
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