Do Not Be Afraid

As I reread Mark 4 this morning, particularly verses 35-41, it reminds me of where we are right now with this virus spreading across the land.

In these verses, Jesus and his homeboys (disciples) were on a boat when a violent storm and wind started raging. As the storm raged, it caused the water to fill the boat. The texts says while all of this was happening, Jesus was sleeping at the BACK of the boat.

I’d like to interject right there...

If you’ve ever been on a cruise ship while the winds are high or when there is a storm and you have a cabin at the back of the ship, you know that the cruise ship rocks terribly. It is absolutely frightening, and you are able to do everything BUT sleep through it, unless you’ve been sedated or something.

So, me personally, I don’t think Jesus was asleep being that the text specifically says that He was at the back. I think He had his eyes closed and appeared to be asleep, completely unbothered by what was happening around Him. Now, that’s just my take on it. I’m not calling the Bible a lie. Had the text stated that He was in the middle or near the front, I’d agree.

But anyway, as the boat started to fill with water, His homeboys started panicking (as most of us are doing right now with this pandemic). They woke Jesus up (correction: disturbed his deep meditation) by shouting, “Don’t you care that we are going to drown?”

Then Jesus jumped up and rebuked the wind and waves and immediately, there was a great calm. Then He asked His homeboys, “Why are ya’ll tripping? So ya’ll don’t believe after I’ve come through for ya’ll so many times?”

Okay, Okay. He didn’t ask in that manner.

He asked, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Here’s where I am going with this...

As difficult as it is, we have to get to where we are as unbothered about this virus as Jesus was about that storm.

Yes, it is serious, and I’m not downplaying the seriousness of it at all, but we have to know that Jesus is aware. Yes, it appears that He is “sleeping”, but if He has PERMITTED this, He has plans to bring good from it.

Most of us are panicking and shouting at Jesus just as the disciples did.

“Don’t you care that new cases are being reported daily and the healthcare officials do not have a cure?

“Don’t you care that people are dying?”

“Don’t you care that  people are unemployed and can’t feed their families?”

“Don’t you care that students are out of school and are not being taught?”

“Don’t you care that business owners’ businesses are taking a hit?”

“Don’t you care that those who work in the healthcare field are putting their lives and their families’ lives in jeopardy by taking care of the sick?

“DON’T YOU CARE??”

....but at just the right time (and His timing is not always ours), Jesus is going to “jump up and rebuke it and afterwards, there will be a great calm.”

Sooo....let’s stop panicking and allowing fear and anxiety to get the best of us.

Yes, we will take percautions, but our trust and security will be in Jesus.

Yes, we are living during an uncomfortable time, just as it was uncomfortable on the boat during the storm and as the water filled the boat, but we have to rest in knowing that Jesus has us!

This will all be over sooner than later! As he immediately calmed the storm on the boat, HE HOLDS THE POWER TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW, but if He has not, there is a purpose.

No, we don’t know what His purpose is, but we will rest assured, trusting in what He is doing.

A GREAT CALM IS EN ROUTE!