Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?

Mark 4: 35-41

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

Food for thought!

Jesus teaches us in many ways. Sometimes he teaches us by words, other times by works. In today's gospel, Jesus teaches us by both; he speaks and he acts. Hill Cherie wrote a book on today's gospel reading, in which she says, "We may not be able to grasp even the slightest understanding of “why” we’re going through what we’re going through, but we can trust God anyway." God says, “My thoughts are completely different form yours. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth , so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

She continues to write: "Our memory fails us: God did not promise us a perfect life. In fact, He promised just the opposite. "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16: 33).

Did you notice that it was Jesus that deliberately drove his disciples into the storm? He said to them: "Let us cross over to the other side." And after getting into the boat he slept! What Jesus teaches us here is that it is him who leads us into storms or problems of our life; that those our problems are not only known by the Lord, they are also permited by him.

The storm on the Sea of Galilee was a test. Jesus knew there would be a storm. He knows about every storm in your life, too. As you know, God doesn't tempt us but he tests us, in order to grow us. You see, sometimes we bring storms on ourselves through sin, poor judgment, or just a lack of experience; some storms may come by the wrongdoing of other people. No matter how the storm is brought about, God will use it for good. Remember Romans 8:28, "God uses everything for good for those who love him!"

It is in and through our storms that He desires to do something awesome in and through us. He uses the storms to get our attention, like He did with the disciples. At the end of today's gospel reading the disciples were thoughtful of Jesus: "They were filled with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.'" Yes, In every storm and problem of our life there is something good that we get. So, don't focus on the harm and hurt; focus on the desguised blessing, on the good that hides behind the bad. God can and does use anything to teach us. For that reason, let us praise the Lord in everything and for everything in our life.