BE STILL! May 2020
Scripture Reference: Mark 4:24-39 (NKJV)
Focus verses: 24, 26, 30,33-39
24 Then He said to them, take heed what you hear … 26 And He said the Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground… 30 Then he said, To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God or with what parable shall we picture it?… 33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable, He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us crossover to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
In the army when a Five-star General gives a command it must be executed promptly. When an ordinary civilian gives an order, unless he is acting like a commando, hardly anyone responds to him. On the other hand, citizens are required to comply with the authorities. As soldiers in the army of God, we too are expected to respond obediently, to God.
WE ARE LOVED EVERLASTINGLY!
In Mark 4, Jesus, on three occasions had the disciples thinking about comparisons to the mystery of the Kingdom of God: (i) The sower and the word (v.14); (ii) The sower and the seed (v.26 ); (iii) A grain of mustard seed (vv. 30-31). The disciples could readily have asked, “What is a kingdom?” Whenever we think of a kingdom, what comes to mind is a territory over which there is a governing ruler. However, the Kingdom of God embodies divine rulership and command of all subjects: those who do God’s will. What is God’s will? Everything that is done to regard, revere, admire, exalt God, is His will. (Psalm 100)
We also associate a kingdom, with someone’s lauding it over others. No wonder Jesus was asked if He would restore the Kingdom to Israel. Jesus re-directed the disciples to inform them that the Kingdom that they should be concerned with, was the one they would build by way of their witnessing. (Acts 1:6-8) That Kingdom is not as a result of do’s and don’ts, but it is the way that we function to build a relationship with God.
That systematic bond is built through righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17) Jesus proceeded to demonstrate that, by giving the disciples a practical lesson. They were given an opportunity to reflect on the parables He spoke, then later that evening, He invited them to ride with Him. He was about to take them through a situation whereby they would see His Kingdom. He could have told them that He was able to calm storms. Instead, He gave them a first-hand experience. Their personal testimony would have been authentic to them, in the same way, ours is to us.
Jesus alluded to righteousness, by saying at the end of each of the three given parables, listen with spiritual ears. (Mark 4: 9, 23, 33). The ability to hear is great and is especially desirous by those who have lost that sense, physically. Right living, according to scriptural guidelines, requires doing the word.
Sometimes that goes against the grain of society and may even cause us to be criticized or ostracized. In such cases, we must dare to stand for righteousness. Why is so much importance given to popular opinion? Our decisions may be unpopular but let us focus on the One who gives His stamp of approval to us. Our spiritual backbone allows us to resist the pressure of societal compromise. Right living produces stalwarts in the faith, whereas, conforming to the world, breeds chickens. Holy Spirit cautions us to hear Him and depend on Him to work in us whatever pleases God.
There were other people around, but Jesus waited until He was alone with the disciples (Mark 4:34) and then He shared inside information. I imagine that they saw Him in a new light. He is willing to impart revelation knowledge to us also, but we must take time-out to be alone with Him.
Can we presume the joy that the disciples felt when He left the crowd behind and invited just them to accompany Him to the other side? There are times in our lives when we feel special to God. We reflect on ways He made in the past: desired answers that we received to our prayers; miraculous happenings; healings; favor; salvation of family members; guidance and protection. We bask in those memories and readily share our testimonies. We are floating on cloud nine then and our worship is spontaneous. His presence is so real on those occasions that we can compare it with the kind of joy that prompted Peter to walk on water. (Matthew 14: 25- 29)
The disciples were the invited guests of Jesus of Nazareth. How special was that! I wonder what some of the multitude would have given to exchange places with them. They were in an enviable position, for the moment. When it seems like we are experiencing a smooth ride in life, we may become the talk-of-the-town. The multitude might have watched the boat until it was out of sight. Isn’t that how it is with us when no one, but God, sees the storm ahead?
Do we really understand what Jesus’ invitation entailed? “Let us crossover to the other side,” was futuristic, but it meant, “Trust me no matter what.” It also meant that, at His word, we get desired results, even if those results are eventual. Most of all, it meant that they would get there. When Jesus speaks, it breeds success. The disciples thought that they were going for a pleasant boat ride since Jesus was on board. Yet, look at the encounter. It was not time for the stormy weather, so a storm at sea was the most unlikely occurrence.
Jesus reclined, but none of the disciples retired with Him. He rested His head on a pillow. The Omnipotent One was comfortable. What relaxation! Seemingly, there was preparation and expectation for an enjoyable ride. Momentarily, their joy was short-lived. The boat began to be tossed by whirling winds and they were waist-deep in water. The only way they could have learned to be still in the face of danger, was by their experiencing it. Don’t we all dislike that part of the journey?
The third aspect of the Kingdom of God, peace, was at risk. The disciples were in a situation where, not only was their peace threatened, but also, that of nature. How could they even think of peace when nature dictated that hope was useless? To them, there was no way out. Maybe, Thomas began to think that he should not have trusted Jesus to get in the boat.
Immediately, they forgot who was on board, so they panicked. They did not anticipate any kind of storm, let alone, a windstorm. Reasonably, they thought their source of income and more so, their life was threatened. The reality of their situation received all their attention. Their mode of transportation was like a paper boat. Water that should have kept them buoyant was now about to submerge them. The sound of the wind was enough to drown their spirits. This storm happened without warning. Who saw this coming? Not the disciples! It was a valuable lesson that they had to learn.
All the miracles they saw and the teachings they had received meant nothing in view of the current turmoil. Why would Jesus allow the disciples to find Him in sweet repose? He could have gotten up before they awakened Him. It was to give them an example of how He expects us to react when we face anxiety. He wants us to brag on His track record. This arrests the disturbance caused by the circumstances and shifts the focus.
There were frantic questions: Did Jesus not care? How could He sleep when they were facing impending doom? How could He sleep in a filled boat? At times, we may have similar concerns. Jesus addressed the wind: the cause of the storm, and the sea which manifested the unrest. Then, He addressed the disciples’ faith. We should speak to the root cause of a problem rather than to the problem itself. The visible manifestations are only symptoms of a deep-seated tempest which obscures our faith.
We may encounter some Thomas-like feelings along our journey, nevertheless, Jesus redirects us to focus on Him, instead of on the circumstances. Can we hear Jesus speaking, “Peace”? Tranquility comes from believing that since we are in God’s good company, the waves of adversity cannot inundate our confidence in Him. The peace that Jesus gives, is an indescribable aura of assurance.
The command of, “Peace!” was followed by the order, “Be still!” The contrariness of the waves was instructed to submit to the voice of distinction. When Jesus speaks, everything surrenders. He was just awakened, but that made no difference. When we are awakened, what comes out of our mouth, immediately? What do we give a voice when we face problems? Is it anxiety, gloom, reason or resolve? Whatever we speak, dictates the condition of our heart. Therefore, it is important to be diligent about that influential storage unit. (Matthew 12:34)
The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, in the embodiment of Jesus, is also the Prince of Peace. His Kingdom comes when we walk in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. If there is treasured junk (doubt, fear, negativity), it is time to declutter and make room for expectation and confidence in God’s promises. Faith and fear can never be roommates. They are opposed and constantly have an adversarial role. Evict fear so that faith can give us a walkthrough into the Kingdom. After we examine and explore that place of peace, our desire will be to reside there.
If we dwell in the lies of the enemy, our existence cannot be pleasant. Our peace is then tossed, shaken, or held hostage by Satan’s deceitful voice. Thankfully, we have the capacity to repent, but he cannot. He needs to be reminded of that fact and his future.
There should be no more apprehensions on the part of the believer. When we know who has given the order, “Be still”, we also know the authority that that voice transposes. Jesus promised us that He would not leave us comfortless. We can relax on our pillow of assurance, without reservations, and expect a great calm, knowing who has given the command: Be still and know…God. (Psalm 46:10)
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
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What does it mean to hear what the spirit says to the church?
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My responsibility concerning what I hear is———————.