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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
January, 1933
FEBRUARY 26, 1933 JESUS SHOW S HIS POWER M a r k 4 :35 to 5 :20
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brought His disciples into danger. He certainly knew the storm was coming, but in spite o f His knowledge, He deliberately led them into a situation which they would have avoided had they been aware of it. Frequently the believer likewise finds him self in strange circumstances, and he won ders why this is the case. It is not always because of failure to follow the Lord, as the experience of these disciples clearly reveals. They were confronted with a danger that was beyond their power to escape, and they had come into it because of their obedience to the command of the Lord. Therefore, it is no sure sign that one is out o f the will o f God, when difficult and even impossible situations present themselves. From the way in which the Lord spoke to the wind and the sea, we gather that there was some thing supernatural and unusual about this sudden storm; He spoke as though ad dressing a person, and we know who that person was: it was Satan who was boldly attempting to destroy Jesus and His fol lowers. The disciples did the only thing possible for them to do; they cried to the Lord for protection and relief. Yet in their very cry there was a revelation of their un belief. They were like the children of Israel in the wilderness, believing, or at least saying, that the Lord had brought them into, their present circumstances merely to allow them to perish. It was a wise and proper thing to turn to Jesus, because of what He was, even though in their cry, “ Carest thou not that we perish ?” there was the hint of accusation—as though the Lord were ignorant of the dan ger that threatened, or indifferent to His disciples’ welfare, or unmindful of their distress! The power o f the Lord was manifested in rebuking the wind and wave. W e should remember that Jesus stands here as a man; exercising man’s dominion over the works of God’s hands: The first man lost that dominion through his sin, but the Second Man recovered it and controlled even the forces o f nature. His rebuke o f the storm is an exhibition of His essential humanity. We cannot, o f course, insist too strongly that He was very God of very God, but by the same token, we cannot insist too strongly that He was very man of very man. In this instance, exercising man’s rightful dominion over nature, His com mand was at once obeyed, and instead of the “great storm,” there was a “great calm.” Jesus then rebuked the disciples’ lack of faith which gave rise to their fear and dread. It is unbelief which causes fear, and when fear comes in, it unfits for serv ice and steals away all joy. When the Lord Himself fills the vision and occupies the heart, love is paramount, and fear is bast out. The comforting words so often found throughout Scripture, “ fear not,” are actually a rebuke to unbelief. If we trusted the Lord more fully, there would be less fear. The word “ feared” in verse 41 really means “awed.” The disciples were awed by such an exhibition of power as that which Jesus gave. No one had ever before exercised dominion over the forces of na ture as He exercised it. All this was be cause o f the manner o f the Man who was present. “What manner of man is this?” is still an unanswered question, after all that has been spoken concerning Him. He is all that we can imagine Him to be, but
Lesson T ext: Mark 4:35 to 5:8, 18-20. Golden T ext: “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1 :12). T HE weather changes most abruptly on the Sea of Galilee. In the after noon, it may be quiet and warm, with the sun glistening from the glassy waters'of the lake. Then, almost without warning, the wind whips down from the hills, the sky becomes darkened, and the A Storm on Galilee
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waters are churned into high waves. We experienced just such a storm when we were returning from Ca pernaum to Tiberias in one of the fishing boats which ply the waters o f this inland sea. During the after
Outline and Exposition I. J e s u s ' P o w e r over N a t u r e ’ s F orces (4:35-41). Leaving the multitude behind, our Lord passed to the other side of the sea. As far as we know, He went for the sole purpose of relieving the demoniac whom He met on the other side. But in doing this, He BLACKBOARD LESSON noon, we had become quite warm as we poked about among the ruins of the houses and synagogue of ancient Capernaum. We were indeed grateful to the Franciscan brother in the little dwelling there, who gave us cool water to drink, and allowed us to rest in the cool shade of the veranda o f his house. When we boarded the boat to return to Tiberias, there was just enough breeze to drive the craft gently through the smooth sea. About five o’clock in the afternoon, the sun disappeared behind the western hills, and the wind suddenly fresh ened. W e were by this time opposite the Plain o f Gennesaret. It seemed to provide a sort o f funnel for sucking the air down from the hills to the sea. Within ten min utes, the wind was blowing a gale, and the surface of the lake was whipped to foam by the driving wind. The boat was tossed about like a cork, careening crazily over the waves. As each succeeding wave crashed into its starboard side, the little craft trembled from stem to stern. The waves were breaking so high that we were all soon drenched. The sailors shortened sail and began to row furiously with the oars to keep the craft headed in the proper direction. For half an hour or more, we were tossed about until suddenly the wind died down and we found ourselves just off shore from Tiberias, safely home.
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