Devotion : Seeing the Big Picture
Mark 4:35-41
Many times I thought that when Jesus asked the question, "Do you still have no faith?", he was referring to their faith to calm the storm. But I am reminded of a song we sang in Sunday School, "With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm". It did not say "calm the storm" but rather" smile at the storm". The storm was not an end in itself. That gave me a new perspective of looking at the passage.
The setting: The disciples were having a great time of learning at the feet of Jesus. The crowds were overwhelming and Jesus had to use a boat as His pulpit. Jesus taught them many lessons; the parable of the sower, the parable of the mustard seed and many others. I am sure the disciples would have loved to make that setting permanent, just like Peter who proposed to build three tabernacles on the mount of transfiguration. But when evening came, Jesus instructs His disciples to go over to the other side. Usually in the evening, people generally settle down for dinner and then prepare to retire to bed. Jesus had another agenda. Anytime was a good time to minister. The people only saw the boat, the crowd and of course the miracle worker but Jesus saw something else. Mark 5 tells us how they met the man who was demon possessed from the region of the Garasenes and Jesus delivered him from the bondage of satan. Jesus saw the purpose for which He was here on the earth. "I must work while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work" ( John 9:4)." The Son of man came to seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10). There are a few lessons we can learn from this passage.
Always look from God's perspective
Jesus was very clear in His mind as to what was God's purpose for Him in this world. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Hm should not perish but have everlasting life" (John :16). His heart was always for the lost, for the sick and the weary. Today churches have become too comfortable that it has a "closed membership". "For members only" attitude. All the programs and the services are geared to service the existing membership and hardly any effort is made in reaching out to the lost. Many times we Christians are also so busy that we have no time to share the gospel with anyone. May God help us that we don't get so engulfed with the surroundings that we lose sight of God's perspective.
Seeing from God's perspective gives:
a. Focus. The purpose of my existence is to be a blessing, fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant. The disciples were contended with where they were. Their focus was seen from the human perspective. Jesus on the other hand saw from God's and saw the man in need of salvation and deliverance. May we not lose our focus but endeavour in every way to fulfil the Great Commission in Matt 28:19-20.
b. No Fear. Jesus asked the disciples why they were afraid. In fact when the disciples were frantically trying to stabilize the boat, Jesus was asleep at the stern. A person who sees from God's perspective will see the the storms of life as secondary compared with the higher calling of serving Him. Paul said in Phi 3:12-14: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting the past, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus". All of us go through some storms in our lives. From which perspective we view the storm make the difference of having fear or no fear. We can scream and complain like the disciples and say that God does not care or be at peace knowing that God is still on the boat with us even in the storm.
c. Faith. When Jesus asked the question, "Why do you still have no faith", what was He really asking? Was He asking why they did not have faith to calm the storm themselves ? I think not. His question was why they did not have faith in Him. Many times when we talk about faith, we think about miracles, healing ect, But the christian faith is relational. It is faith in the person of Jesus Christ more than faith in the circumstantial evidence that we see. It is not the miraculous signs that determine our faith. The world wants to see such evidence before they believe. That is why the Jews wanted Jesus to show them a sign. God is calling us to put our faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Trust and obey for there is no other way. Faith in the person of Christ will smile at the storm, faith which is circumstance based will scream and moan at the slightest irritation. So the next time you ask, "Where is God, Why me..." sit back and ponder on whom or what is my faith based on.
Apparently the disciples did not learn the lesson from this episode. They can only remark, : Even the wind and the seas obey Him, still looking at the circumstances. Unlike Thomas who responded when seeing the nail print hands of Jesus, " My Lord and my God".
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Always look from God's perspective
Jesus was very clear in His mind as to what was God's purpose for Him in this world. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Hm should not perish but have everlasting life" (John :16). His heart was always for the lost, for the sick and the weary. Today churches have become too comfortable that it has a "closed membership". "For members only" attitude. All the programs and the services are geared to service the existing membership and hardly any effort is made in reaching out to the lost. Many times we Christians are also so busy that we have no time to share the gospel with anyone. May God help us that we don't get so engulfed with the surroundings that we lose sight of God's perspective.
Seeing from God's perspective gives:
a. Focus. The purpose of my existence is to be a blessing, fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant. The disciples were contended with where they were. Their focus was seen from the human perspective. Jesus on the other hand saw from God's and saw the man in need of salvation and deliverance. May we not lose our focus but endeavour in every way to fulfil the Great Commission in Matt 28:19-20.
b. No Fear. Jesus asked the disciples why they were afraid. In fact when the disciples were frantically trying to stabilize the boat, Jesus was asleep at the stern. A person who sees from God's perspective will see the the storms of life as secondary compared with the higher calling of serving Him. Paul said in Phi 3:12-14: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting the past, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus". All of us go through some storms in our lives. From which perspective we view the storm make the difference of having fear or no fear. We can scream and complain like the disciples and say that God does not care or be at peace knowing that God is still on the boat with us even in the storm.
c. Faith. When Jesus asked the question, "Why do you still have no faith", what was He really asking? Was He asking why they did not have faith to calm the storm themselves ? I think not. His question was why they did not have faith in Him. Many times when we talk about faith, we think about miracles, healing ect, But the christian faith is relational. It is faith in the person of Jesus Christ more than faith in the circumstantial evidence that we see. It is not the miraculous signs that determine our faith. The world wants to see such evidence before they believe. That is why the Jews wanted Jesus to show them a sign. God is calling us to put our faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Trust and obey for there is no other way. Faith in the person of Christ will smile at the storm, faith which is circumstance based will scream and moan at the slightest irritation. So the next time you ask, "Where is God, Why me..." sit back and ponder on whom or what is my faith based on.
Apparently the disciples did not learn the lesson from this episode. They can only remark, : Even the wind and the seas obey Him, still looking at the circumstances. Unlike Thomas who responded when seeing the nail print hands of Jesus, " My Lord and my God".
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
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