Shelter in Storms
D. L. Moody is known as a man with a consuming passion for the salvation of the lost. After he was saved, he made a resolution that he would never let 24 hours pass without speaking to at least one person about his or her soul. One day Mr. Moody arrived home and went to bed. Then he suddenly realized that he had not spoken to anyone about Christ that day. So he got up, got dressed, and went to the front door. It was pouring rain. He said to himself, “Oh, there will be no one out in this pouring rain.” Just then, he heard someone passing by, holding an umbrella over his head. Mr. Moody rushed up to the man and said, “May I share the shelter of your umbrella?” “Certainly,” the man replied. Then, Mr. Moody asked, “Have you had shelter in the time of storm?” He shared the good news of Jesus and led him to Christ.[1]
The Gospel of Mark
Today’s passage tells the story of Jesus calming a storm. Last week, we explored the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s main audience was Jewish. That is why his Gospel begins with a genealogy of Jesus and includes many quotations from the Old Testament to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Unlike Matthew, the Gospel of Mark was written for Gentiles, especially Romans. Mark is fast-paced, using words like “immediately” or “at once” more than 40 times. It focuses on what Jesus did. This fits a Roman mindset, practical and action-oriented. Through Jesus’ actions, Mark shows us who Jesus is.
The Storm Story
Today’s passage is one of those action-filled stories – the storm story. One day Jesus and his disciples set out in a boat to cross the other side of the lake. But soon a huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, and it began to fill with water. And Jesus was sleeping, his head resting on a pillow. The disciples panicked and woke him up, saying, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
Have you been there? Have you felt desperate and panicked, not knowing what to do in the storms of life? Have you ever felt that God seemed absent or asleep during your struggles? In Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee[2], every disciple is in a different place in the boat. Near the mast, several struggle to repair the torn sail, trying to fix the problem without success. One clings to a rope, barely hanging on. Another crouches in fear, staring at the wave. One is sick and overwhelmed, leaning over the side of the boat. Two are angry, shaking Jesus awake. One sits quietly, lost and withdrawn from the chaos. At the stern, a leader grips the tiller, trying to keep the boat on course and to control the situation. Only one kneels at Jesus’ feet in trust.
And then there is one more person, Rembrandt himself. He paints his own face among the disciples, wearing a blue cap, gripping a rope and looking straight at us. By doing this, Rembrandt invites us into the boat. This is not just their storm; it is ours. Mark’s Gospel asks the same question the painting asks: “Where are you in the boat today?” – Are you afraid? Are you lost? Are you just hanging in there? Are you angry at God? Are you trying to control or fix the problem? Here is the good news: wherever we are, Jesus is in the boat with us. And the storm becomes an invitation and opportunity to know him and experience him personally.
Who Is This Man?
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Immediately, the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he said to the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were filled with awe and said to each other, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
“Who is this man?” “Who is Jesus?” This is the most important question we can answer. By recording Jesus’ actions, Mark shows us that Jesus is the Son of God. He rules over nature, calming the storm. He forgives sins. He commands demons, and they obey him. He heals the sick with a word or a touch. All his actions point to one truth: Jesus has divine authority. So who is this man? Mark invites us to answer: This is the one we trust, follow, and worship.
My Peace
Storms are inevitable in life. Right before entering the fiercest storm, on the very night the disciples would desert him, Jesus said to them, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) He continued, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have conquered the world!” (16:33)
In today’s passage, Jesus truly shows the disciples what his peace looks like. In the middle of a great storm, he is sleeping in peace. And he wants to give them (and us!) the same peace – the peace that surpasses all understanding. How can we have that peace? Rembrandt gives us a hint in this painting. The towering mast at the center of the boat resembles the cross.
Jesus loses peace so we can receive his peace. In Gethsemane, Jesus is overwhelmed. He is troubled and distressed (14:33). He says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” The storm is no longer on the sea, but it is in his soul. The disciples sleep, but Jesus has no rest. On the cross, Jesus experiences the ultimate loss of peace. He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (15:34). He enters abandonment so we can be accepted. Jesus gives up his own peace in the garden and on the cross so that we can have peace with God. Through the cross Jesus conquered the world, and his surpassing peace is available to everyone who trusts him.
He Is Able
Dr. King shared his personal experience in his sermon Our God Is Able. Soon after he became the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott, he began to receive threatening phone calls and letters. At first, they were occasional, but soon they increased day after day. One particular night, after a long hard day, as he was about to go to bed, he received another threatening call. After this, he could not sleep. All of his fears came down on him, and it felt like he had reached the saturation point. So he went to the kitchen, bowed over the table and prayed aloud: “O Lord, help me! I am at the end of my strength. I have nothing left. I cannot face this alone.” At that moment, he heard an inner voice, saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for the truth. God will be at your side forever.” Almost at once, all his fear left him. His uncertainty disappeared. He was ready to face anything. The external situation remained the same, but God gave him inner calm. Three days later, his home was bombed. Strangely enough, he remained calm. He knew now God was able to give him the inner strength to face the storms of life.[3]
Is someone here afraid because of the uncertainty of the future? Jesus is with us in the storm. Is someone in despair because of the loss of a loved one or broken relationships? Jesus is with us in the storm. Is someone anxious because of health concerns? Jesus is with us in the storm.
In Rembrandt’s painting, we see light in two places. One shines from heaven upon the mast, the symbol of the cross. The other glows from Jesus himself. He is the Light of the World. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the Messiah and the Son of God. And he is able to give us inner strength and peace to stand firm in the storms of life as we come to the cross.
At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
So we return to D. L. Moody’s question: “Have you had shelter in the time of storm?” There is a great power that even the wind and the sea obey. His name is Jesus. He is with us in the storm, and he will be with us to the end. Not control, but trust. Trust. Trust Jesus.
[1]
R. A. Torrey, Why God Used D. L. Moody (Moody
Press, 1973), 39-40.
[2]
Juliet Benner, “A Meditation on Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Lake of
Galilee.” https://conversatio.org/o-taste-and-see-4/, and Bill Gaultiere, “With
Jesus in the Storm: Rembrandt’s Meditation,” https://www.soulshepherding.org/with-jesus-in-the-storm-on-the-sea-of-galilee-a-meditation-on-rembrandts-painting/
[3]
Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love (Fortress Press, Cleveland,
Ohio, 2010),116-117.
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