Lange Commentary - Mark 4:35 - 4:41

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Lange Commentary - Mark 4:35 - 4:41


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

4. Conflict of Jesus with the feeble-minded Unbelief of the Disciples; the Stilling of the Storm; and His Triumph over Human Seafarers in their vocation. (Mar_4:35-41)

(Parallels: Mat_8:18; Mat_8:23-27; Luk_8:22-25)

35And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37And there arose a great storm [squall] of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow [the boat-cushion]: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

See on the parallels.—Pictorial vividness in the narrative of the voyage: evening, the sudden departure, the convoy of ships, the violence of the storm, the ship all but sinking, the image of Him who slept on the pillow, the reproach of the distressed men that Jesus cared not, the words of rebuke to the wind, the strong reproof of the disciples, their great fear, and its effect.

Mar_4:35. Besides the arrangement according to matter, there is here a definite historical sequence to the preceding section.—And the same day, He saith unto them.—Thus it was before the stormy voyage that our Lord uttered the first parables concerning the kingdom of heaven.

Mar_4:36. Even as He was in the ship.—That is, they proceeded at once, before they could make special preparation for the voyage. The evening voyage over the sea to the southeast coast was ex tended to several hours, and became a hight voyage.

Mar_4:37. The waves beat into the ship—The ἐðÝâáëëåí intransitive, referring to the waves.

Mar_4:40. Meyer: The disciples’ weakness in knowledge and faith is made more prominent by Mark than by the other Synoptics: comp. Mar_6:52; Mar_7:18; Mar_8:17-18; Mar_8:33; Mar_9:6; Mar_9:19; Mar_9:32; Mar_9:34; Mar_10:24; Mar_10:32; Mar_10:35; Mar_14:40.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. See on the parallels.

2. Significance of the crisis of deep excitement: mutual reproaches. The disciples allege against the Lord, groundlessly and irreverently, the reproach of not caring for them; He on His side inflicts the well-founded reproof of despondency and lack of faith. They uttered their charge prematurely, before they had waited to see the Lord’s manner of action; Christ did not utter his reproof (fully, comp. Matthew), until He had brought relief in the danger. This often recurs in the history of the Church’s great tribulations, as well as in the private difficulties of the Christian life.

3. The personification of the wind and sea in Christ’s address is most emphatic in the rebuking words of Christ, as found in Mark. But at the base of this personification there is a dogmatic element, to wit, that nature has acquired a character of apparently wild independence and anarchy since man became unfaithful to his destiny: Rule over it, and make it subject to you. But in this seeming anarchy, which is under the power of God, and is used by Him as a means of discipline and judgment, is reflected that real anarchy, that lack of obedience and faith in the human breast, which is at the same time felt as a lack of self-government and rule over the creature. Therefore we see confronting the unbelief of the disciples Jesus’ confidence; His peace is opposed to their excitement, His self-possession to their distraction; His majestic supremacy over the winds and waves is opposed to their subjection to natural terrors. And the effect is, that his own disciples experience towards Him the same awe of reverence and fear which they had experienced before towards the frightful sublimity of nature. But now they are the subjects of a fear which passes over into the utterances of a rising and blessed faith.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

See on the parallels.—The voyage of the disciples of Jesus a night-voyage (according to Mark; see the notes) in the life of the disciples: 1. The history; 2. its significance.—The victory of the Lord over feebleminded unbelief: 1. He leads little faith into danger; 2. He lets it wrestle with the peril to the utmost point; 3. He convicts, humbles, and heals it.—The fear of man before the terrors of nature, a sign that he is not consecrated through the terrors of the spirit.—The Lord’s supremacy over human vocations (seafaring, fishing, government, learning).—Trial of the disciples in the danger of death.—The pride of the little apostolical crew, and its humiliation: a sign.—Jesus’ sleeping and awaking: 1. His sleeping, the repose of His divine power, an exercise and test of the human; 2. His awaking, a new glorification of the saving divinity in humanity needing salvation.—Jesus the star of the sea (the anchor, the rudder, the lighthouse, the rescuer of the wrecked).—Danger to life always danger to the soul.—Divine help in our human life should be to us a sign for quickening and salvation.—How all fear of the creature should be changed by the awe of Christ’s presence into peace.—To reverence the Son of God, and to obtain kingly power over the creaturely world, are one and the same—Perfect love casts out fear.—The wide wild world glorified by the Spirit of Christ into a blessed house of God.—Jesus Christ, the commander of wind and sea: 1. In nature; 2. in history; 3. in the fates of the Church.—What follows from His being obeyed by the winds and the waves,—as to Himself, as to the world, as to us?—Christ as the Ruler of nature, and Restorer of its paradisaical peace.

Starke:—The evening may be very different from the early morning.—Faithful servants of God may have some seasons of rest permitted them, lest they sink under their burden.—Going forth with Christ into a sea of tribulation.—If He be with us, we shall not sink and perish.—The little ship of the Church is often so beaten by the storms of tribulation and persecution, that it seems as if it must go down.—Distress teaches man to pray, although faith is never without prayer.—It is the error of men, that they take, at once, danger to be a mark that God takes no heed of them.—Canstein:—A great storm followed by a great calm: so is it ever with God’s consolations after trial.—Quesnel:—God is so gracious and gentle, that He does not despise a slender faith, or reject an imperfect prayer, or cast out a fearful heart.—How profitable would Christians find it, if they would discourse in their social meetings about the wonders of God and the glory of Jesus Christ!

Gerlach:—It is always a blameable unbelief, when we fear to enter the ship with Christ.—Braune:—The difference between Jonah’s sleeping in the ship and that of Jesus.—He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.—Schleiermacher:—That was their unbelief, He meant, that they thought He could sink at a time when He had not yet given them any commission; that they thought God could take so little care of His work, as that it should sink with them.—There is no one among us who can assure himself that the old man, however entirely he may seem to be buried into the death of Christ, will not rise up with his giant lusts, and involve the soul in storm and tempest.—But if we are members of His body, we should maintain the sure confidence, that in all times of severe trial and temptation, the bond of union between Him and us will not be severed.—As certainly as He could not sink with His disciples on that day, He will not suffer his disciples to sink in this.—Gossner:—When the help of man ceases, God’s help begins; or, faith in the sure word.—When there is storm in the soul, and when thou art in great peril, thou knowest what it is for, and whither to fly.—What calmness in the soul, when the Lord arises and utters His voice

Footnotes:

Mar_4:37.—Lachmann, Tischendorf, following B., C., D., L., &c., read ἤäç ãåìßæåóèáé ôὸ ðëïῖïí , instead of áὐôὸ ἤäç ãåìßæåóèáé .

Mar_4:40.—The ïὕôù is rejected by Lachmann, after B., D., L., Ä ., Vulgate. Tischendorf defends it by important Codd. The insertion, indeed, is more easily explained than the omission. Griesbach, Lachmann read ïὔðù , instead of ðῶò ïὐê , in conformity with B., D., L., Vulgate, Itala, &c.