WESLEYAN WOMEN
RELEASE: Let Go & Let God – WEEK 2
Preparation before Study:
This week we will be in the book of Mark. I love making notes as I read. You can
circle words that recur within the passage, or notice dialogue and questions. Have
fun and mark it up.
Passage of Study:
Mark 4:35-5:20
Trusting in God’s Power: Last week, we learned that our role is to scatter—to
release—and that God takes care of the rest. The farmer didn’t know how the seed
sprouts and grows, but he was confident there would be a harvest. That
confidence—that trust in God’s power—is something Jesus desired for his disciples.
Today we are going to study one of the two nature miracles in Mark. In some ways,
they are the most astounding of all miracles, for no one has been able to recreate
such control over that which is uncontrollable—the weather.
This week we transition from Jesus said to what He did. Just as His teaching
taught about the kingdom of God, his miracles served multiple purposes:
1. Miracles unveiled the nearness of the kingdom of God.
2. Miracles were tangible evidence that the radical new ideas of Jesus were true.
3. Finally, miracles served as an invitation to those who hesitated to believe.
Today we are looking at the storms around us and the storms within us. More
specifically, we are looking at the miraculous power of God to still both.
Watch Video
Context:
Mark 4.35-41
“That day, when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us leave and go to the
other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.
There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up and the waves broke
over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a
cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we
drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died
down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Terrified, they asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey
him!”
It’s been a week since our last study, so let’s set up the context for what Jesus
was doing:
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It’s the same day as last week. He was teaching crowds so large that he had
found a boat, let it drift off shore a bit, and taught the people who lined the
shores edge (Mk. 4.1).
Jesus had been teaching in parables—specifically using (mostly) agricultural
symbolism to explain the kingdom of God.
Mark 4.33 summarizes, “He would speak the word to them…”
I have to make this connection for us and I pray it blows your mind the way it
blew mine.
John 1.14.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and
truth.
Who was Jesus? The Word of God. What was He teaching? The Word of God.
Is your mind about to explode with the enormity of what the disciples were
hearing? The Word of God spoke God’s Word to them.
Before there were written gospels and red-letter words, there was the Word—
sitting in a boat off shore—teaching anyone who had ears to hear. I just want that to
soak in.
Back to storms and boats, fishermen and Jesus.
By the time we get to the end of our passage, it’s safe to say the disciples failed
the storm test. Not only do they accuse Jesus of not caring, but their inability to
comprehend who Jesus is begins to surface.
When the disciples unanimously vote to wake Jesus up, they question His
intentions. It’s not a question rooted in faith, but in fear.
“Don’t you care?”
Don’t you care?
It is almost certain that some circumstance will arise in each of our lives that
cause us to look up and ask, “God. Are you there? And if so, don’t you care?”
Two of our five children have taken me to this point. We’ve battled for the safety
of one and were almost certain we were going to lose him. For the second child, we
battled (alongside doctors) for his health. Again, fairly certain he wasn’t going to
make it. I remember vividly asking God if he cared about this situation. God
responded both times, “Marian, if I take either of your children, am I still good?”
Rephrased, “Marian. I am.”
Jesus knew something about that storm in that boat. He knew where to find
peace—resting in the presence of God. When we know our Father intimately, we
will not question His presence. As a result, we will not be taken under by our
circumstances.
What I love about this passage is that Jesus never demands that understanding
comes. He questions them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” But he
doesn’t demand they identify Him as Lord.
At this point, it would be wise to ask: What did Jesus desire for his disciples to
understand?
1. Nothing can intervene with God’s plan. “Let us leave and go to the other
side…” Did he promise a smooth ride? No. But did he clearly lie out his plan? Yes.
Jesus wants to be trusted to do as He says He’ll do.
2. God the Father is trustworthy. “A furious squall came up and the waves broke
over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a
cushion.” Jesus slept without concern for a coming storm because his external
circumstances did not matter. He found peace in turmoil because Jesus knew that
his Father had this covered.
3. Fear is not rooted in faith. Fear doubts God’s power (and ability) to bring
order from life’s chaos.
As this scene closes, we find that the disciples are terrified. The text says that
they were “amazed,” which is a type of fear felt in the presence of the divine and
supernatural (Mk. 5.15, Mk. 5.33, Mk. 6.50, Mk. 16.8).
And yet they still don’t get it.
Instead of turning to the one who inspires awe—the one who tames wind and
harnesses waves, they turn to each other. You can almost hear their boyish
whispers—the need to be quiet heightened by the gentle lapping of water against
the side of the boat.
“Who is this?” they ask each other (Mk. 4.41).
“Who is this?”
This is God, ladies. And he can be trusted when it seems like we are about to be
taken under.
We must release fear so that we can trust God. Or perhaps when we trust God,
our fear is released.
I’ll let you ponder the order of that.
When uncertainty washes over us and we don’t know how we are going to make
it, Jesus has modeled for us the correct response: We are to curl up in the presence
of God and rest.
Our God is powerful and we don’t have to be. Isn’t that freeing?
Personal Connection:
I grew up in East Tennessee and I still have a passion for Appalachian
thunderstorms. They stained the skies purple and flipped the leaves to silver. As the
thunder rolled in, my mom would take me outside. Together, we sat on the front
porch and watched the storm roll in. Even today I can close my eyes and recall the
scent of a thunderstorm.
When my husband and I moved to Virginia with our own children, I was ecstatic
to have a front porch. As the first thunderstorm of the season rolled in, I grabbed my
blanket and my children and rushed outside.
For a whole thirty seconds.
My youngest son passionately refused to be a living lightning rod in the great
outdoors. I tried to coax him with a popsicle and a seat on my lap. Nothing worked.
At the first crack of thunder he bolted back indoors and muffled his sobs in our sofa
cushion.
I had been exposed to storms from such an early age that I almost ran to them—
awestruck by the power found there. My son, on the other hand, had no frame of
reference for such fury. Those storms were well beyond his control and he knew it.
If we are alive—if we are away because the sky is awake—we are going to live
through some storms. We can either stand in awe of God’s power there, or we can
try to escape that which we fear.
It seems to me that each storm serves a purpose. Some bring healing. Others
smooth our rough edges. Some storms teach endurance while others infuse us with
compassion.
Whatever storm has found you, God’s power is worth the journey.
Inviting Discussion:
1. In what ways to you try to control your world when the unexpected occurs?
2. Perhaps you’ve learned how to rest in God’s presence regardless of
circumstances. Would you consider sharing with your group the difference this has
made in your life and relationships?
3. Often, certain areas of living (like finances) and certain relationships (like
children) are harder to entrust to God. Discuss which areas are difficult for you to
release.
4. Areas of insecurity are often the areas I doubt God cares about, and thus
become the areas I try to control. For example, my oldest son was born to me while I
was still single. Even after I came to know the Lord, I feared that God would take
him away from me. After all, my life had been so messy perhaps I didn’t deserve him.
As a result, I kept a tight leash on my son. I was always afraid to lose him. Finally,
after 8 years of homeschooling, I’m ready to let go.
What areas of insecurity do you doubt God cares about?
If God asks you to release those to Him, are you willing to trust Him?
4. How has Jesus shown Himself to be worthy of your trust?
5. When God feels removed from the storm surrounding you, how can you
remind yourself of His presence?
Later on, write down Deuteronomy 31.6. Moses was reminding Israel that
their fear could be eradicated by God’s presence.
6. Fun boat trivia for you: Jesus’ sleeping in the stern was intentional. In a
storm, the stern (back) is preferred over the bow (front), as the nose of a
boat is dipping and diving in a wicked storm. Where is your place of rest with
the Lord?
Deeper {At Home or Together}:
There is a troublesome phrase in this account. Mark 4.36 says, “They took him
along, just as he was…”
It’s awkward. It leaves me wondering if Jesus’ hair was a mess or if his clothes
were stained with perspiration. Was he smelly? Did he need to jump in the lake and
take a bath?
It also makes me wonder if the disciples had any idea that Jesus had done the
same with them—taken them along, just as they were, knowing their exposure to
Him would transform them from the inside?
Let’s consider the differences present:
Just as he was the Son of God.
Just as they were…men broken and in need of a Savior.
Just as he was confident in God’s love for Him.
Just as they were…unaware they shared a boat with God who loves them.
Just as he was able to trust in God.
Just as they were…doubting God’s plan.
Just as He was able to rest before the Father.
Just as they were…afraid of the unknown.
Just as he was unconcerned with the storm.
Just as they were…believing they were alone in their fear.
It doesn’t take much to realize that there was more than a storm raging around
the boat—there was a storm within as well.
Let’s continue reading Matthew 5.1-21 {don’t leave out v.21 even though it’s in a
new section}. For the sake of space, I’m not going to insert it here.
This is what happens when the disciples and Jesus reach the other side. Literally,
it’s the only even recorded before Jesus gets back in the boat and leaves again. What
do we have going on here?
First there is this man. He’s famous in an infamous sort of way. Everyone knows
he lives among the tomb and cuts himself. What’s so incredible is that this man—
famous for self-destruction and insanity—sees Jesus from a distance and comes
running for him.
He ran toward Jesus and fell on his knees before him, shouting at the top of his
voice. “What do you want with me, Son of the Most High God?”
Stop.
Right there.
This is the way the demons call out to Jesus (Mk. 1.24, 3.11).
The storm is this man is one of demonic proportions.
What does Jesus do? He calls out the chaos and brings peace to his spirit.
A legion of demons exists the man and enters some pigs. The herd of pigs—two
thousand in number—runs off a cliff. Eventually the village people come running to
see what has happened. And what they find is a sensible man, dressed and sane,
sitting before Jesus.
Sometimes, those storms raging aren’t on the outside. Sometimes what we fear
most is ourselves. We are riddled by insecurity, anger, depression, and loneliness.
The darkness of our storm is so thick it’s like a black hole to all hope.
And yet Jesus comes for us.
We can run to Him and fall at His feet because He came to us.
It’s the parable of the lost lamb in living color, ladies. He truly does come for the
one just as eagerly as He comes for the ninety-nine.
We can’t leave without seeing just one more thing. In this story of the man, the
demons, and the pigs, we can observe a single behavior repeated three different
times—begging.
1. The demons begged Jesus to send them into the pigs.
2. The village people saw the changes in the man, were afraid, and begged Jesus
to leave.
3. The man who had been possessed kept begging Jesus to let him come alone.
Jesus obliged the demons and the townspeople, but refused the transformed
man.
Why? Why would Jesus refuse a man who was filled with gratitude and desired
to be close to God?
Let’s read Mark 5.19-20:
Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how
much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man
went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.
And all the people were amazed.
It’s that scattering of seed. This man had been set free—released from his
bondage—so that he could scatter the glory of God throughout his own people. It
should be noted that this was Gentile territory and this man was one of the first to
tell of Jesus among the “outsiders.”
Please let this weave itself into the DNA of your faith: You are set free so that you
can set others free. We weather the storms with trust and confidence, resting before
the Lord because this points to Jesus.
He calms us and it’s a miracle. He came for us. And so we go for them, too.
We can trust His plan. Even when it seems as though He’s refusing us. Even when
everything seems uncertain and chaotic. We can rest before God in peace because
we serve a God mighty in power and faithful in coming.
Journal this Week:
As you close your time with the Lord, either journal (or discuss) a time when
God told you to stay in a place you were desperate to leave. Can you see wisdom in
his denial?