Mark 4:35-38
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
There’s a lot that I wonder about in this passage. Why suddenly go to the other side? What prompted Jesus to leave? And is the “they” in question the disciples? I would assume so, but Mark doesn’t specify, and then he mentions that there were other boats with them. So who all went to the other side? And why does Mark point out that “they took him with them in the boat, just as he was”? What is it about the way Jesus was that warranted comment? And what happened to the other boats? Were they also in peril? And, perhaps finally, why was Jesus’ sleeping? Was he exhausted from his time with the crowds? Is this what Mark meant earlier about “just as he was” – like maybe he could hardly stand upright anymore and fell immediately asleep?
I think one of the best ways to read the Bible is to ask questions. To take the time, that is, to read it closely enough to notice what the author says and doesn’t say, and to wonder about what that means. In this case, there are a lot of gaps, things Mark doesn’t fill in. And each of them invites us not just to wonder about the story about to imagine it, to fill in the blanks ourselves, to put ourselves into the scene. This is how good writers draw us in: they give us just enough detail so we can imagine the scene, and they leave just enough unsaid so that we fill in the rest ourselves and are drawn into the story.
There’s a lot here that Mark doesn’t answer – and that is his invitation to us to jump into the boat with the disciples (assuming it’s the disciples). But there’s one thing Mark is clear about: the folks sailing with Jesus are pretty bummed out, even upset, to find Jesus asleep in the boat. And having imagined what it’s like to be in their situation, I can easily and immediately identify with their reaction.
How could Jesus just fall asleep? I mean, this wasn’t even their idea – he’s the one who wanted to cross the lake. And now they’re caught in a storm, the winds are blowing, water is swamping the boat, threatening to sink it, and Jesus is just lying there in the back, sleeping it through it all? Does he really not care?
I have a hunch that each of us has felt this way at one time or another. Oh, maybe not while out in a boat, but maybe in a hospital room, having just gotten an ominous report from the doctor. Or maybe while on the phone, hearing that the relationship we treasured is over. Or maybe while at work, receiving notice that our employer of twenty years no longer requires our services. Or maybe…. Well, you get the idea. We’ve each had moments when we feel like we’re swamped, about to sink, and wonder why God isn’t doing anything; wonder, in fact, whether God cares at all.
And that’s why Mark writes. Each of these stories is about Jesus’ life and ministry and what happened way back then, and each of these stories is about Jesus’ life and ministry and our lives today. That’s why Mark writes; that’s why we read. And to get at some of these questions – the bigger life-questions behind all the questions Mark uses to draw us in – we’ll need to keep reading.
Prayer: Dear God, sometimes we wonder where you are or whether you care. Thank you for reminding us through these stories that we are not alone in asking such questions. And encourage us to keep reading and keep asking. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Post image: Rembrandt, Jesus Calms the Storm, 1633.
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