Mark 4
by Philip Layton
Jesus uses parables to teach and demonstrate his authority over nature
Discussion Question
- Can you think of cultures or individuals who fall into each of the categories listed in the parable of the sower?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag.
Going Deeper – from 'Words of Life'
No doubt we have read this story of Jesus calming the storm many times – about the disciples not having enough faith. In fact, they were rather blunt with Jesus, wondering if he really did care for their well-being. Yet right from the beginning Jesus told them that together they would go ‘to the other side’.
The Sea of Galilee is some 13 miles long and seven miles wide. It’s surrounded by hills towering more than 2,000 feet above the shore. It’s usually calm and tranquil; but it can be treacherous when violent storms suddenly spring up.
Life sometimes runs rather smoothly – to the point of us saying, ‘Where has the day, the week, gone?’ Then, suddenly, something happens – seemingly out of nowhere. A storm. And it’s violent. We panic. How could God let this happen to me? To my family? We, too, ask:
‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ (v 38).
Jesus had no intention of letting anyone drown. They were, after all, heading to the other side. They were safe. He was with them.
Maybe you’re presently going through a storm. Perhaps suffering deep pain – physically, emotionally, spiritually. It’s causing you panic. Fear. You may even have the feeling that you might not make it. Know that God is with you. Know that he has said that, no matter what may come, together you will go to the other side. You are safe with him. For he is the only one who can calm the storm: calm our anxieties, our doubts, our fears – and he will heal our soul.
Prayer
O God, help me to have faith in you for the storms that come my way. Help me to also pray for others going through the storms of life right now. Give to us all a sense of peace, assurance and hope.
Beverly Ivany
Photo courtesy of Alan Lidgley (Creative Commons licensing)