March 4 in Midweek Manna bible study we will continue our journey through the gospel of Mark with the story of Jesus’ miracle on the sea of Galilee. Jesus and his disciples are on the sea and a storm blows up, but Jesus sleeps through it! It is as if he knows something the disciples did not yet believe.
We live in the midst of a tumult in our times. Some days it seems like the storm will never let up. What can we learn from this miracle story in Mark? What do we learn about Jesus ability and perhaps more importantly his willingness to calm the storms around us before they get out of control.
One of the great depictions of a biblical scene is Rembrandt’s “Storm on the Sea of Galilee” which has been missing since it was stolen from a Boston Museum more than 3 decades ago. The storm in the painting is haunting, violent, and threatening. In other words, it is like so many of the storms in our world. Christ, ever present with us in our stormiest moments, is there to order the sea and the wind to be silent and be still!