Mark chapter 4 verses 35 to 41 shares a lovely story that was recently the basis for my morning Bible reading, but concentrating on the storm and how Jesus is as much with us in our storms as He was with his disciples.
Whenever I am reminded of this account, the phrase that attracts me is the heading for today’s contribution. It was the evening when Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side,” and in doing so, the crowds were left behind. This story clearly demonstrates Jesus’ humanity because the story relates how the disciples took Jesus, “just as He was”. Even though “a furious squall came up and the waves were breaking over the boat so that it was nearly swamped” Jesus, who was in the stern, was sleeping on a cushion.
I recall occasions, such as at Christmas as part of a large family gathering, young children were told it was “time for bed”, but it was so interesting, and they didn’t want the day to end, so after responses such as, “I’m not tired” they were allowed to stay up a little longer. Not too long after, it would not be unusual to discover a child had “fallen asleep” behind a settee because, despite their earlier protestations, the body was more tired than claimed.
The story continues that in an act of desperation, the disciples, some of them experienced fishermen, woke Jesus and “He got up and rebuked the wind and the waves and it became completely calm”.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for sharing with us incidents when Jesus demonstrated both his deity and his humanity. AMEN