The Other Side
By G. Craig Lauterbach
In Mark 4:35 to 5:1 we read, “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’ 1Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.”
Have you ever felt like Jesus was asleep while you were in the midst of a storm? You’re facing circumstances beyond your control and your prayers seem to go unanswered. Maybe it’s a health issue, a financial burden, or a loved one whose life is headed in the wrong direction. You might be facing a legal matter with a very bleak outlook and you feel Jesus is nowhere to be found. In our text, the disciples were going through a life-threatening situation. The storm they were facing was not the result of disobedience. In the Old Testament, we see how Jonah went through a similar experience as the disciples did, but his circumstances were self-made. Because he was not willing to do what God wanted him to do, he brought calamity on himself. This wasn’t the case in our text. They were going through a difficult time for doing what Jesus told them to do. Can you identify with this? Maybe you’re going through some trial or tribulation for doing the right thing. If so, stay with me as we look at three things.
The Command
In verse 35 of our text, Jesus said, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Many people who read this verse, only focus on the last three words, The Other Side. They see the destination, but not the journey involved in getting there. That’s why children ask the same question over and over again while driving long distances. “Are we there yet? How much longer?” Human nature, whether young or old, wants the product without the process, or results without resistance. A good example of this is an overweight man or woman. Rather than incorporate the discipline of diet and exercise, they look for a pill to remedy their obesity. Get rich schemes have the same appeal. My father said to me years ago, “If it seems too good to be true, then it is!” There are no short cuts in life and the same holds true spiritually. The Devil will always challenge our obedience. It may come through finances, health issues, accusations, or even some temptation aimed at getting us off track. Whatever the case, expect the enemy to appose those who seek to advance God’s kingdom. Think about it. Can you imagine fighting in a war where the enemy says, “Please conqueror me and take away my freedom. I want to be your prisoner!”? The opposite would be true. It would be their goal to do everything within their power to conqueror you and take you prisoner. Why? You are a threat to their kingdom. What was waiting for Jesus and the disciples on the other side? If you were to read on in Chapter 5 of our text, you’d find a man who was tormented by a legion of demons living there. He was someone the experts of that time could not help. He was a man out of control, but yet crying daily for help. What was waiting on the other side for Jesus and His disciples? An opportunity for God to display His power and authority was waiting there. They were about to invade the enemy’s camp. This demoniac man was about to receive his deliverance and Satan was not going to take that sitting down. Which brings me to my next point.
The Crisis
Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross over . . .” Cross over can also be translated as, “to pass through, or travel the road.” The road of life we all travel can be smooth and difficult at times. When we have the assurance that we are doing what God has instructed us to do, even though challenging circumstances arise, the Lord wants us to know we are not alone. Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us!” He was with them when the storm hit and He is with you and I as well. Like the disciples, the Devil doesn’t want us to fulfill God’s plan for our lives, so he will send storms of adversity to discourage and defeat us. When the wind and the waves began to pound their small boat, they did everything within their power to navigate the vessel through to safe waters. They exhausted their resources and then became angry with Jesus’ supposed lack of concern for what they were going through. Think about that for a moment. They had nowhere else to turn and now they were angry with the only one who could make a difference. Isn’t that just like the Devil? He causes the problem and then blames God for what’s happening. When a natural disaster such as an earthquake, tsunami, tornado, or hurricane devastates an area, scientists call this an act of God. Even when the victims of these calamities file claims with their insurance companies, they are defined as an act of God. If God is the one behind these awful disasters, then He is a nasty individual. No normal human being, let alone the Creator of the universe, would do such a thing to innocent people, but the prince of darkness would have us think differently. You see, if we blame the one who has the power to save us, we will never be rescued. Why? Our anger will build a wall between God and us. A wall designed to keep Him out because we don’t trust Him. When this happens, there is no possible way for us to reach the other side.
Thank God in spite of their anger, the disciples had enough sense to go and wake Jesus. By the way, why do you think Jesus was asleep? It wasn’t because He was aloof to their situation. Jesus was able to relax and rest even in the midst of the storm because He had complete confidence that He was crossing over to the other side. He spoke it. He is the Word of God and God always keeps His Word. Jesus didn’t see the storm; He saw the fulfillment of His Word, which brings me to my final point.
The Calm
After waking from a sound sleep, scripture says, “He rebuked the wind and immediately the sea was calm.” WOW! Jesus accomplished in one moment what the disciples were unable to do over a period of hours. I can only imagine what they must have been thinking. More than likely they wished they had called on Him at the onset of the storm. This would have saved them a lot of anguish and stress. Not to mention the damage the storm may have caused the boat. What storm are you facing? My encouragement to you is, don’t waste your time and resources trying to calm the storm in your life. Learn from the disciples. Call on the Lord. Seek Him in prayer. Just like the disciples, the Lord has a plan and purpose for your life. If you are pursuing that purpose, then you will cross over to the other side. Your destiny is waiting there. There are people who need to hear and receive from you. For Jesus, it was a demon-possessed man whose life was about to change forever. For you, it may be a man or a woman in prison, a wayward youth, a life bound by substance abuse, a victim of divorce, maybe teaching a Sunday School class, or possibly serving with a disaster relief organization. I don’t know what ministry God has called you to, but I do know He has called you. Life isn’t about us, it’s about others. John 3:16 says it all, “For God so loved the world that He gave . . .” That’s why Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive. Why? Because God is a giver and when we give of resources and ourselves, we are doing what God does.
Jesus will always calm the storms in our lives when our priorities are right. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The things He is speaking of here are the provisions necessary in reaching our destination, the other side. It’s imperative to never loose sight of our purpose. In the Old Testament, Joseph honored God in spite of his circumstances and eventually his circumstances changed. Moses was given the awesome task of leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt’s captivity. He faced many challenges along the way, but God was faithful every time. What about King David? He is remembered as the greatest king of Israel, but yet he faced overwhelming odds time and time again. At the end of his life, David said he had never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread. Why? God takes care of those who are faithful to Him. It’s not about success, it’s about faithfulness. Man measures success by numbers, but God measures success by obedience.
Conclusion
After Jesus rebuked the storm, He looked at the disciples and chastised them for a lack of faith. Jesus expected them to call on Him, but not as a last resort. Had they turned to Him at the very beginning, they would have saved themselves a lot of time and anguish. Originally their confidence was in their abilities as trained seamen. After all, they were professionals. Why would they need to bother Jesus with this? The only problem was, the longer they kept Jesus out of the loop, the worse things became. You see, it doesn’t matter how talented or experienced we are. We need the Lord involved in every area of our lives. Even in the things that we are strong. If we don’t do this, our circumstances will eventually overwhelm us. This is what happened to the disciples. They focused on the storm rather than the Word of Jesus and their faith was shaken.
If you’re in the midst of a storm, let me encourage you to call upon the Lord. He is not the source of your problem; He is the answer to it. Find your purpose in life. God has prepared a destiny for you. If you keep Him first, He has promised you will cross over to the other side.
