Even If You See It, It Doesn’t Mean You’ll Believe!
The disciples saw many things during the three years they walked with Jesus. They saw the dead raised, the lepers healed, the blind receive sight and the deaf their hearing. Everywhere they went, miracles took place. Yet, there came a time when all they had seen, did not bring them comfort:
35 The same evening, Jesus suggested they cross over to the other side of the lake. 36 With Jesus already in the boat, they left the crowd behind and set sail along with a few other boats that followed. 37 As they sailed, a storm formed. The winds whipped up huge waves that broke over the bow, filling the boat with so much water that even the experienced sailors among them were sure they were going to sink.
38 Jesus was back in the stern of the boat, sound asleep on a cushion, when the disciples shook Him awake.
Disciples (shouting over the storm): Jesus, Master, don’t You care that we’re going to die?
39 He got up, shouted words into the wind, and commanded the waves.
Jesus: That’s enough! Be still!
And immediately the wind died down to nothing, the waves stopped.
Jesus: 40 How can you be so afraid? After all you’ve seen, where is your faith?
41 The disciples were still afraid, slowly coming to grips with what they had seen. Mark 4:36-41 (The Voice)
The turmoil they were experiencing as a result of the boisterous sea overrode every thing they had seen and heard. All they could think of was the "here and now" and they cried out to Jesus, "Master, don’t You care that we’re going to die?"All the while they are going through these changes, Jesus is sleeping peacefully in the stern of the ship. Upon their frightened plea Jesus immediately spoke to the wind and the waves and commanded them to be still. He then asked His disciples a question, that still resounds with believers today:
"How can you be so afraid? After all you’ve seen , where is your faith?"
Whether the winds and the waves in our lives are literal or figurative, the question is still relevant. How can we so afraid, after all that we have seen heard, and experienced? "Where is our faith?"
Like the disciples, when the here and now threatens life or liberty, it doesn’t matter how much we’ve seen or heard. The good news is that the scriptures are written for our learning. If we can look at this incident and not be so arrogant as to believe that it can’t happen to us, in some shape, fashion or form – we can even now ask God for the kind of faith that will take us over sun-kissed mountains and storm tossed seas – and because we ask, He will give it:
Jesus: Because you have so little faith. I tell you this: if you had even a faint spark of faith, even faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and because of your faith, the mountain would move. If you had just a sliver of faith, you would find nothing impossible. Matthew 17:20 (The Voice)
"Lord, give me a sliver."
Maria