In order to understand reality, you must view things through the lens of faith.
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Mark 4 Summary
v1-20 - Jesus both tells and explains the meaning of the parable of the sower.
Remember, parables are not just 'earthly stories with heavenly meanings' given to help the crowds understand Jesus' message.
For more insight as to why Jesus 'hid' His meanings in parables, see last year's DIG DEEPER post.
v26-34 - Jesus tells two more short parables.
v35-41- Mark's version of the famous account of Jesus stilling the storm
Dig Deeper
One of the primary points of chapter four is that Christians are to view all things, including what we read in the Bible, through the lens of faith. Otherwise, as Jesus said in v12, you will indeed see, but not perceive.
Most Christians read the account of Jesus stilling the storm (v35-41) through the lens of how can this help me right now, rather than through the lens of faith, and they end up coming to wrong conclusions. For example:
WRONG CONCLUSION #1: Jesus will still the storms in my life
Jesus certainly can do so, and He may do so, but He may not. Indeed, God may have sent the storms you're experiencing in life as He did with Jonah. This is certainly not the meaning God wants you to take from this passage.
WRONG CONCLUSION #2: Jesus wants to take all of my fears away
Jesus certainly wants you to live a life free from fear, and like we mentioned above, He can and may take your fears away. But that's not what happened here to the disciples. They had more fear at the end of the story than the beginning.
BETTER CONCLUSION: Jesus wants you to trust in Him
After stilling the storm, Jesus scolds the disciples for having no faith. If they had viewed the incident through the lens of faith, they may have still had fear (a natural & normal reaction), but they would have trusted Jesus regardless of the outcome.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has given you the secret of the Kingdom of God;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will read His Word and navigate your life through the lens of faith placed fully in Christ
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
