643
T H E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
October 1924
squall of wind came on,” lashing the quiet waters into a fury and putting them all in great danger. “ The waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling” (v. 37, R. V.). One rendering of Luke 8:23 is: “ But when a gale of wind came down on the lake and they were being swamped and in peril.” How true to life this is. Many a person has started out on some project— business, marriage, Christian work— and it looked as though there would be “ smooth sailing.” And then at the. most unexpected time, in the most unexpected way, and from th'e most unexpected source, the storm has arisen, and it has seemed that all would- be lost. Then note the utter helplessness of the disciples. The vessel they were in was not a “ ship” as^we use the term, hut a row boat, perhaps a fishing smack. And though sev eral of the men on board were experienced fishermen, per fectly familiar with the handling of such a vessel, they were utterly powerless to cope with the situation. Even so it is with us. The storm comes and we are helpless to meet it. For the disciples, however, there was a way out, for Jesus was on board. A short, sincere cry for help, a word from Him who is master of every situation, “ and there was a great calm.” Note two things with reference to Jesus. First He was accessible. He is just as much so now. “ Just when I need Him most, Jesus is near to comfort and cheer.” In the second place, note His ability to quell the storm. Able and accessible, bless His Name! The disciples evi dently expected help from Him; but when it came they marvelled (Matt. 8:27), so wonderful was the deliverance. Many a child of God since then has had a similar experience. It may be that the reader of these lines is now going through some terrific storm, and there seems to be no way out. “Why are ye so fearful.” Call upon Him; put and leave all in His hands, and He will bring about a great calm. The Story of a Great Storm Mark 4:35-41. Memory Verse.— “ Even the wind and the sea obey him.” Mark 4:41. Approach.— This is a good lesson to picture on the sand table. Place a piece of mirror in sand covering edges and shaping shore line. Place a toy boat on same. The ships that sailed the Sea of Galilee were not like the great boats that take travelers on the great lakes ELEMENTARY and oceans now. They had sails and Mabel L. Merrill oars, too, althought they were larger than row boats. Remember that Jesus’ friends were fishermen—At least some of them were— and they knew about boats and how to handle them. Cover with little tufts of cotton to represent water lashed into foam by storm. Remove at proper time and the mirror will show the calmed sea. Lesson Story.—How many ever had a little garden all your own? Paul do you like to plant seed and watch them grow? Yes, I think we all like gardens, unless we are lazy. Of course lazy folks would not like to take care of a garden, because the weeds must be kept out, and it must be cared for. Mary, you tell us about the heart garden we learned about. Today we are to hear about Jesus and His disciples in a boat out on the sea of Galilee. It was the same day He had talked to the crowds about the seed sown in different hearts, and now it is evening time, and Jesus and the dis ciples had sent away the multitudes of people, and were
a calm so that the waves thereof are still.” Jesus is strong to deliver and mighty to save. There are no storms that do not subside at His behest. There is the storm of sinful guilt and shame. Men are tempest-tossed by the consciousness of sin and by remorse. (Rom. 7:24). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (1 Cor. 15:57; Luke 7:50). That storm is stilled. There is the storm of trouble and trial. It presses heavily and rages fiercely. The Christian may say with the Psalm ist “ All Thy waves and billows are gone over me.” The assurance is given “ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” There is the storm of death and judgment. It is enough to strike terror to the soul. The believer says, “ I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” That is the storm, hushed and stilled. Power, power, wonder-working power! V. 35. The evening following the day during which He had spoken eight parables. The eastern shore of the sea, which was sparsely populated, so that Jesus could there hope to get some rest from the crowds and the incessant demands made upon him.—Peloubet. COMMENTS V. 37.* It was one of those sudden FROM THE and violent squalls to which the lake of COMMENTARIES Gennessaret was notoriously exposed, V. V. Morgan lying six hundred feet lower than the sea and surrounded by mountain gor ges, which act like gigantic funnels to draw down the hold winds from the mountains. These winds are not only violent, but they come down suddenly, and often when the sky is perfectly clear.— Cam. Bible. V. 38. “ Carest thou not that we perish?” This question savors of impatience, if not of irreverence. Who so likely to have put it as Peter? Nor would he be likely afterwards to forget that he had put it.—Peloubet. V. 39. “ Be muzzled!” As if the sea were a raging mon ster.—Vincent. The tense in the Greek implies an instan taneous result. Just as, when Christ healed a leper or others severely ill, the cure was not a gradual one, but was the work of a moment, so here the storm did not pass away slowly but instantly, and thus a miracle was manifest.— Peloubet. We shall not understand Christ’s mission into our world as we ought till we discover that our position is such as to make us safe when the interests of our Saviour are safe, and that we are in danger when they are in danger. We are in the boat with Christ. All the storms that beat in upon Him fall upon us, and all the storms that smite us strike Him—we are together. This assures our safety. To make life’s voyage with Christ is to be sure of safely landing on the other shore with Christ. No storm can pre vent this.—Sel. . . . V. 41. What manner of man is this? The wonderful conjunction of unequalled trouble and unspeakable peace, seen in the life of Jesus Christ, can not be figured except by the greatest works of the hand of God: as the fierce wind desolates the forest, maddens the sea, and throws down the fabrics of men, yet never arrests for a moment the velocity of the earth, so the tempests of human opposition, batter ing with incessant fury upon the life of Christ, never touched the eternal calm of His infinite peace.—J. Parker. One of the topics suggested for this lesson is, “ How to meet the storms of life.” This is a very practical theme, for the storms do break upon all our heads. Happy are they who really know how to meet them. There are some helpful analogies DEVOTIONAL between the storm on Galilee and those COMMENT which we encounter on “ the sea of life.” John A. Hubbard The storm was sudden and unex- pected. When Jesus and His disciples started out all was fair and calm, and no doubt they expected a quiet, safe trip. But before long “ a heavy
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