Ship of Fools: Mark 3:39-40 After the storm, slap down

Thread: Mark 3:39-40 After the storm, slap down Board: Kerygmania / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Unum Solum (# 18904) on :

Mark 4:39-40New International Version (NIV)

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

What is Jesus on about when he questions their faith? The wording in the other two Gospels is similar and the sentiment is the same. Reading this last night I was perplexed as to what he expected of them, and of course like some other of Jesus comments it seems harsh.

[ 24. January 2018, 04:20: Message edited by: Unum Solum ]

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :

One of my possible explanations is that Jesus was perplexed: he couldn't work out why his ability to be in control of the situation wasn't immediately obvious from the start for his disciples.

Posted by Martin60 (# 368) on :

They'd already seen Him preach, call them - itself a miracle, a rabbi authoritatively calling peasant fishermen as his acolytes rather than sons of the ruling class - perform very politically pointed public healing upon mass healing, exorcisms and yeah, 'e were robust with them. Times was 'ard and short.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

I hear it as humor. Our Lord is speaking with a rueful grin. "C'mon, guys. This is not a heavy lift. Be cool, okay?"

Posted by Martin60 (# 368) on :

The late '60s doesn't project well on classical antiquity.

Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Unum Solum:
What is Jesus on about when he questions their faith? The wording in the other two Gospels is similar and the sentiment is the same. Reading this last night I was perplexed as to what he expected of them, and of course like some other of Jesus comments it seems harsh.

I think you stopped a little short. The next couple of verses explains it:

quote:
They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!”

They were scared because this man just made the wind and the sea obey him! Now, personally I think it is reasonable for them to have been a little scared. But Jesus' point is that he had been telling them who he was; they had been seeing him do miracles and, yet, he saw that they were still frightened by him. "Who is this that the wind and sea obeys him?" Really, what did he have to do to get them to have faith in him? Rise from the dead?

Posted by Latchkey Kid (# 12444) on :

Isn't this part of a major theme in Mark? While the demons or demon possessed know exactly who Jesus is and He has to keep them quiet, his disciples and family (and Mark is implying his audience, and by extension us, are like this) and keep on misunderstanding who He is and are compared to the blind. We are like the blind person that Jesus found so hard to open his eyes that He had to take two goes.

(A friend of mine once wrote a song "Once I was blind, now i'm short-sighted.")

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