Get to the Back of the Boat

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

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

41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" -Mark 4:35-41

One of the things that I remember most from my retreat to Boston with the other VS-ers from different denominations (that is volunteer service workers), is something I heard at a seminary we visited. He spoke of this passage as well as other passages and his message was that we need to "get to the back of the boat." Notice that before the storm, during the storm, Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping on a cushion. We often forget that Jesus was resting, because we focus on the actions. But we can also focus on the times where they found Jesus sleeping. He wasn't afraid, so why should the others be? Similarly, we have no reason to be afraid or nervous about what might happen in our lives. So why not... sleep?

There are other such passages in the Bible... a little different. Jesus walked here or there. We think it's instantaneous, and poof- He's there. But it took a while this walking, just strolling along perhaps. And the periods which cover so many things. There's a period and we just move on to the next action, without imagining the pause, and what was done during that pause.

How could He say, "Come to me and I will give you rest, if He did not have that as a part of His life?" I'm sure He did. And we need to take some time out of our busy lives to find our own "back of the boat." Get to the back of the boat- amidst the storms, amidst the long journey, and He will give you rest.