Jesus’ Rx to Calm and Inoculate Our Hearts Against Storms: Faith in Him, Becoming a New Creation in Him – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

In the Gospel Reading today (Mark 4:35-41), there are two main themes to reflect: Jesus’ supernatural power over Creation and faith as antidote to fear.

While the disciples were sailing with Jesus, a storm developed and rages over the sea, with violently raging waves endangering the boat. The water was filling the boat, and the disciples were terrified. Yet, Jesus did not seem to be bothered, as he sternly remained asleep – as if Jonah slept on the boat while sailing in stormy sea on his attempt to run away from God, refusing to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-5).

The panicked disciples woke Jesus up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”(Mark 4:38).

So, Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”(Mark 4:39), exerting his power over nature.

Then, Jesus reminds his disciples that their fear of storm was due to their weak faith, saying to them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” (4:40).

The disciples’ poor faith contributed to the storm within – in their hearts, called fear and terror. What Jesus stopped was not just the storm over the sea but the storm in the disciples’ hearts, by revealing his supernatural power over nature and calling them to boost the power of their faith.

The disciples were starkly reminded by the revelation of Jesus’ supernatural commanding power over nature, left in awe (Mark 4:41). Jesus had this power because all things in God’s Creation came to exist through him and for him (Colossians 1:16; cf. John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6).

Though we do not have the authority or commanding power over nature, as we are also being created, it does not necessarily mean that our hearts have to experience storms just because nature brings raging and terrifying storm. And Jesus reminds us that faith in him is a powerful antidote. Our faith is a powerful stabilizer of our hearts so that we can navigate safely and confidently even through stormy times in life as a life of faith means to journey with Christ.

Remember, even though they were in storm and the boat was at risk of sinking, Jesus was with them.

Is Jesus with you – in you? Are you with Jesus – in him? If so, your heart is inoculated against raising storm, even though nature may continue to bring storms and all other disastrous events to terrify us.

Let us not allow nature’s such events to shake our faith as our hearts are firmly centered in Jesus the Son of Creator God.

There is a parallel between the disciples in the Gospel Reading (Mark 4:35-41) to Job in the First Reading (Job 38:1, 8-11).

It is noteworthy that Job cried out for God for a long time, but God remained silent, as reflected in Job 2 to 37. From Job 38 on, God finally responded to Job in His revelation to Him through His speech to him. In the portion of today’s First Reading, God the Creator reminds of Job that He has the controlling power over Creation, as to let him know how great He is.

As God spoke to Job, it was to admonish him, reminding him that his suffering was associated with his lack of awareness of the greatness of God, who created the universe.

Job’s long suffering and cries to God, who remained silent, may be juxtaposed to the disciples’ cries in the storm while Jesus remained asleep. And, God finally speaking to Job, breaking His long silence, is paralleled to Jesus waking up to demonstrate his power over nature and challenging the disciples to boost their faith.

Imagine if Job had his heart more centered in God. Then, he would have endured his long suffering better. Just because he was righteous, it does not necessarily mean that Job’s heart was in a right place with God. And Elihu indicated this to Job (Job 32-37). And, upon God speaking to him (Job 38-41), Job came to realize his problem and the infinitely awesome power of God. And to put this in light of today’s Second Reading (2 Corinthians 5:14-17), Job finally became a new creation with God (cf. 5:17).

What about us?

As we cultivate faith to shield our hearts from storms of fear, even in distressful circumstances, we grow in faith to become new creations in Christ, letting old being go. For this, we must remain convinced that Jesus the Christ died for us all and so did we with our old self-centered and flesh-driven life (2 Corinthians 5:14). And he was raised so that we are also raised to become new creations in him (2 Corinthians 5:15-17; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:44).

Jesus did not just demonstrate his supernatural power over nature calm the storm so that we know how awesome his power is. As we come to know who he is and his power, his death and resurrection, Jesus calls us to live as new creations in him. If not, we might have to spend the rest of our lives plagued with distress of fear, spending hundreds of dollars for psychologists and psychiatrists, still unhappy with results.