Introduction
It is likely that the disciples experienced stormy situations with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee similar to the one described in the Gospel. The story has a typical structure of the narration of a miracle. The description of the situation of need: a storm that makes you fear the sinking of the boat. The request: the disciples ask Jesus to save them. The miracle: Jesus rebukes the wind and tells it to be quiet. The demonstration of the miracle: “The wind abated and a great boom followed.” The reaction of those present: filled with respect, they wonder who Jesus is that even “the wind and the sea obey him”.
The sea as a symbol
In the time of Jesus, the sea was seen as a dark place, where beasts and evil spirits reigned. The fact that Jesus rebuked the sea reminds us of exorcisms when Jesus orders the evil spirits to come out of the possessed and silences them. Even now the spirits of the wind and the waves obey the word of Jesus. We see again how Jesus is described with the same features of God, like those we read in Psalm 107,28-29 when some merchants, who were sailing on the sea and encountered a storm, cried out to the Lord to save them. God, after being implored, transforms the storm into prosperity, soothes the waves of the sea and restores calm.
The for and the manca of faith
Mark includes a phrase that adds a new meaning to the miracle: fear and lack of faith. If the disciples believed that Jesus is the savior, the son of God, the resurrection and the life, they would not be afraid, even though Jesus was “sleeping” (the daughter of Jairus and Lazarus were also “sleeping”), because they would know that death he does not have the last word. Death is not the end of anything. Believers live forever despite “that day” coming. Mark always relates the expression “that day” to the death and resurrection of Jesus: “that day” that the husband will be taken from them (Mark 2:20), “that day” that he “sleeps” in the boat (Mark 4,35) and until “that day” that he drinks new wine in the Kingdom of God (Mark 14,35).
The storms of life
Certainly many times in the Church, symbolized by the boat, it happens to us as it did to the disciples. Jesus seems to be “asleep”, while we suffer a great storm in our lives. But Jesus is there. He never leaves us alone. Do we believe it? Or are we cowards and still don’t trust Jesus? Certainly we can have great storms in our lives, of unbelief, weakness and not knowing where to turn, but with Jesus come great blessings that will make us show great respect and love for him “whom even the wind and the sea “they obey”.