Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in dogs.
Welcoming you to this special Lectio Divina series centred around the questions Jesus asked.
Have you ever noticed that fear often creeps in a little bit quieter than we expect it to?
It doesn't always appear as panic or trembling.
Sometimes it shows itself as control,
Sometimes as frustration,
Sometimes as impatience,
And sometimes as withdrawal.
Fear shapes so many of our reactions before we even realise that it's there sometimes.
And in the Gospel of Mark,
This question from Jesus comes in the middle of chaos.
The disciples are crossing the sea,
The wind rises,
Waves crash into the boat,
Water begins to fill the vessel beneath their feet,
And Jesus is asleep.
Now to the disciples,
This feels unbearable.
And so they wake him in desperation,
Saying,
Teacher,
Don't you care that we're perishing?
It's a cry born from fear,
But also from doubt,
Because they're not just fearing the storm.
But I sense maybe they're also fearing that they're alone in it,
Because after all,
Jesus is asleep,
He's not there with them,
Worried.
And then after calming the wind and the seas,
Jesus turns to them and asks a question,
Why are you afraid?
Now note that this isn't meant to be a question that shames them or accuses them of anything.
It's an invitation.
Because as I've said many times before elsewhere,
Fear itself isn't a failure.
Fear is human.
It rises in us when life feels uncertain,
When circumstances feel beyond our control,
And when outcomes feel fragile.
We fear losing what matters.
We fear being overwhelmed.
We fear not being enough.
We fear what we can't predict.
And quite often we try to hide our fear,
Even from ourselves.
We cover it with busyness.
We mask it with confidence.
We bury it beneath responsibility.
But Jesus doesn't ask,
Why did you fail?
He says,
Why are you afraid?
He's inviting awareness.
And he's not suggesting that we deny what's happening or pretend that we don't feel fear.
He's not even saying that you're not spiritually perfect yet because of the fear.
He's just saying,
Be aware.
Because fear,
When we name it,
Begins to gently lose its power.
And in this story,
In that moment,
The disciples are still learning who Jesus is.
They don't yet understand his presence.
They don't trust the depth of his care yet.
And I wonder sometimes maybe I don't either.
There's storms in every life.
Some are loud and obvious.
Some are hidden beneath the surface.
There's uncertainty,
Grief,
Responsibility,
Change.
All of these storms.
And in the midst of those storms,
Jesus still asks,
Why are you afraid?
Not to make us feel guilty,
But to help us notice.
To notice what fear is moving within us.
To notice what fear is shaping our reactions.
To notice what fear is asking to be brought into the light.
Because fear,
When we speak it honestly,
Becomes the beginning of trust.
And trust grows when we recognize that we're not alone in the boat.
Which is the other thing that Jesus pulls with that question.
Why are you afraid?
Because you might think you're in the midst of the storm.
But I'm still here with you.
So as you listen to the scripture reading,
Allow the scene to unfold in your imagination.
Notice what word or phrase draws your attention.
And just simply listen to the voice of the Spirit.
Mark chapter 4,
Verses 35 to 40.
On that day when evening had come,
He said to them,
Let's go across to the other side.
And leaving the crowd behind,
They took him with them in the boat,
Just as he was.
Other boats were with him.
A great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that the boat was always already being swamped.
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're perishing?
He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,
Peace,
Be still.
Then the wind ceased and there was a dead calm.
And he said to them,
Why are you afraid?
Have you still no faith?
Mark chapter 4,
Verses 35 to 40.
On that day when evening had come,
He said to them,
Let's go across to the other side.
And leaving the crowd behind,
They took him with them in the boat,
Just as he was.
Other boats were with him.
A great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that the boat was already being swamped.
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're perishing?
He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,
Peace,
Be still.
Then the wind ceased and there was a dead calm.
And he said to them,
Why are you afraid?
Have you still no faith?
Mark chapter 4,
Verses 35 to 40.
On that day when evening had come,
He said to them,
Let's go across to the other side.
And leaving the crowd behind,
They took him with them in the boat,
Just as he was.
Other boats were with him.
A great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that the boat was already being swamped.
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're perishing?
He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,
Peace,
Be still.
Then the wind ceased and there was a dead calm.
And he said to them,
Why are you afraid?
Have you still no faith?
Let us pray.
Jesus,
You meet us in the middle of storms.
When waves rise around us and fear fills our hearts,
You don't turn away.
You speak peace into chaos.
And you ask us to notice what lives within us.
Give us courage to name our fears without shame.
Where fear has shaped our reactions,
Bring awareness.
Where fear has kept us guarded,
Bring gentleness.
Where fear has made us feel alone,
Remind us that you are present in the boat with us.
Teach us to trust even when the wind rises and the water feels uncertain.
Help us to hear your voice speaking stillness into the storms within us.
And as we learn to name our fears,
Lead us slowly into deeper trust.
Amen.
And may grace,
Peace and love go with you,
My friend,
Into your day,
Today and always.
Amen.
