What does Mark chapter 4 verses 35-41 mean?

Answer 1

The key verse in this passage for us is verse 40. It is a challenge and exhortation to us to believe in Jesus in every fearful circumstance:

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4.40)

ANOTHER ANSWER:

Two thoughts come to mind: one from Matthew Henry's Commentary... the other from Halley's Bible Handbook.

1) - "...Christ was asleep in the storm, to try the Faith of His disciples, and to stir them up to pray. Their Faith appeared weak, and their prayers strong. When our wicked hearts are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, when our passions are unruly, let us think we hear the Law of Christ, saying, 'Be silent, be dumb.' When without are fightings, and within are fears, and the spirits are in a tumult, if He say, 'Peace, be still,' there is great calm at once. Why are ye so fearful? Though there may be some cause for some fear, yet not for such fear as this. Those may suspect their Faith, who can have such a thought as that Jesus careth not though His people perish. How imperfect are the best of saints! Faith and fear take their turns while we are in this world; but ere long, fear will be overcome, and Faith will be lost in sight." (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Mark 4:35-41; Christ stills the tempest)

2) - "Told also in Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25. In the tossing boat, the disciples were frightened, but Jesus was calmly sleeping. How we would love to know the inner processes and powers by which His Word stilled the raging waters! What a rebuke to the disciples. 'Why are you afraid? Where is your Faith?'" (Halley's Bible Handbook; with the King James Version; Classic Edition: Mark 4:35-41, p 467 - The Tempest Stilled)

Answer 2

Mark 4:35-41 is an interesting passage intended to show the divinely ordained power of Jesus. The disciples feared for their lives when a storm arose and the waves threatened to swamp the boat. Jesus awoke and commanded the storm to be still.

The underlying meaning of the passage can be inferred from the words of the third century pagan, Porphyry, who described the Sea of Galilee as a small lake easily traversed in small canoes and insufficiently capacious for waves or storms. This tells us that Mark's story of the fearsome storm was an allegory, not a real event. This can be most readily seen by looking at a summary of the framework parallel structure of Mark's Gospel, where the passage first appeared: A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

Here we can see that in event K, Jesus rebukes the wind, then in the matching event K', Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John.

Answer 3

Mark 4:35-41 is an interesting passage intended to show the divinely ordained power of Jesus. The disciples feared for their lives when a storm arose and the waves threatened to swamp the boat. Jesus awoke and commanded the storm to be still.

The underlying meaning of the passage can be inferred from the words of the third century pagan, Porphyry, who described the Sea of Galilee as a small lake easily traversed in small canoes and insufficiently capacious for waves or storms. This tells us that Mark's story of the fearsome storm was an allegory, not a real event.