Home  > Short Studies  > A great calm (Mk 4:38-39)

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. — Mark 4:38-39

A Charles Spurgeon sermonette from 1885 titled “Jesus Asleep on a Pillow” examines the imminently practical, if abrupt lesson on faith that Jesus demonstrated to His panicked disciples when they were caught by a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Spurgeon draws the parallel between the calm resulting from the Savior’s dispersing of the storm and the great inner calm of God’s own heart—a peace that faithful Christians should also possess. As he breaks down the sequence of events Spurgeon contrasts Jesus’s actions with those of His disciples to demonstrate faith’s proper response in the face of difficulty.

The Lord had grabbed a pillow, shuffled off to the back of the boat and peacefully slept through much of the calamity, demonstrating perfect confidence in God that everything was fine. He also surely rested easy in the knowledge of His ultimate and assured position in heaven, a peace that any who are redeemed in faith should share in.
If God is for us, who (or what weather event) can be against us?

Having left all things in God’s hands, Jesus proceeded to do the most prudent thing at the time, which was to get some much-needed rest. The Galilean ministry was growing by leaps and bounds, the days were no doubt long, and He probably had to sleep when the opportunity presented itself. No matter on this night that the wind howls and the seas rage—He knows that the Father is in control of these things. As the great preacher observes, “He takes no watch, He makes no fret; but He goes to sleep.” Practicality and faith do work together.

Meanwhile the disciples are not asleep. Despite sailing with the Lord God incarnate—in albeit rough conditions—they shortly give in to fear and panic. While they had obviously assented that Jesus was the Messiah, they clearly did not understand the full implications of that fact; otherwise they would have been as unbothered by the situation as He was. Spurgeon says it much better: “In thus yielding to fear they forgot the solid reasons for courage which lay near at hand; for in truth they were safe enough.”

Not only was the disciples’ strength of faith deficit but they acted inconsiderately as well, waking Jesus to accuse Him of being indifferent to their predicament, as if He wasn’t also out there on the pitching sea. To presume He would leave them to senseless destruction at this point or ever, showed not only a lack of perspective but a lack of appreciation for the love He had for them.

The disciples’ failure was one of conviction, something that all believers have experienced at one time or another, but here Jesus again has set the proper example. While it is pretty likely that He manufactured the storm in order to illustrate the point, His unbroken, peaceful confidence in God despite clear and present danger demonstrated a quality all faithful believers should emulate.

Regarding the great calm the Lord produces in rebuke of the storm, Spurgeon noted four things:

“His voice produced it.” In the same way that the Lord dispels the storm with a word, He is able to impart the unique peace of God to those to whom He speaks through His gospel. It does not matter how difficult our circumstances, God’s living Word is capable of producing a calm of spiritual confidence as it speaks directly to our hearts.

“This calm came at once.” Once a person sees the light of God’s truth, deliverance immediately follows. Just as Jesus spoke and the storm was immediately quieted, God works through the gospel to bring peace and often instant transformation to the lives of those He has called to faith and repentance.

“The Savior coupled this repose with faith.” After dispersing the storm, the Lord put a point on the miracle by turning and asking the disciples “Where is your faith?” The spiritual calm unique to Christian believers is a direct result of their faith. As the author and finisher of that faith, Jesus represents the ultimate calm—the solution to any storm a Christian may experience in this life.

“This great calm is very delightful.” Christians share in God’s spiritual peace because Jesus has already overcome the world and whatever storms it brings our way. While we cannot avoid the difficulties of life, if we are saved we know that we are always able to cast our anxieties on Him and that we are eternally safe no matter what happens. He will always strengthen and bless His own. It is this knowledge—the product of God-given faith— that brings the great calm in a Christian life.

“When grace has made us masters of our fears, so that we can take a pillow and fall asleep amid the hurricane, the fury of the tempest is over: He giveth peace and safety when He giveth His beloved sleep.”*

* Spurgeon, C.H.; “Jesus Asleep on a Pillow”; The Sword and the Trowel; January 1885

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Most scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB)

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