Mark 4:35-41 Really, how do you explain it?

[hotcoffee]

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mark 4:35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

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

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”​

This must have been a real event. Matthew and Mark told it the same way.

It must have been just as they told it. Jesus was asleep, they woke Him up, He yelled at the wind to quiet down, and went back to sleep!

See now that's why I think the grains of wheat would have been plumper just because He walked through the field.

Let me ask you.... for discussion... how do the "metaphoricists" explain this one.... especially when two gospel writers in different areas of the region say "He talked to the waves and the wind"?

Really....

 

[cheezgrits]

HC, after last nights battle thread that thankfully disappeared, I've come to the conclusion that why would I discuss what I think on this forum. If I do, it's going to come across as questioning your faith and I do not want to do that. There is also a common fallacy in discussing religion and that is the excluded middle (or false dichotomy): considering only the extremes. Many people use Aristotelian either/or logic tending to describe in terms of up/down, black/white, true/false, love/hate, etc. (e.g., You either like it or you don't. He either stands guilty or not guilty.) Many times, a continuum occurs between the extremes that people fail to see. The universe also contains many "maybes."

So before all the either you believe everything the bible says or you're an atheist people show up, I'll just leave this discussion open to someone else.

I do enjoy your posts and am glad you are doing well enough again to be with us. Here's to your continued recovery and continued good health.

 

[hotcoffee]

HC, after last nights battle thread that thankfully disappeared, I've come to the conclusion that why would I discuss what I think on this forum. If I do, it's going to come across as questioning your faith and I do not want to do that. There is also a common fallacy in discussing religion and that is the excluded middle (or false dichotomy): considering only the extremes. Many people use Aristotelian either/or logic tending to describe in terms of up/down, black/white, true/false, love/hate, etc. (e.g., You either like it or you don't. He either stands guilty or not guilty.) Many times, a continuum occurs between the extremes that people fail to see. The universe also contains many "maybes."

So before all the either you believe everything the bible says or you're an atheist people show up, I'll just leave this discussion open to someone else.

I do enjoy your posts and am glad you are doing well enough again to be with us. Here's to your continued recovery and continued good health.

There are a lot of people who really are Christians.... but they don't think everything in the Bible is as written. It's true.... they don't...

By opening this discussion.... we can all learn something.

There are some really big statements in the Bible. Lots of blogs, articles, and books have been written about them. Hollywood has gone outside itself to ignore the topic, in my opinion... and it would make such great screenplay....

First one that I brought up was Jesus walking through the wheat fields with the disciples. I've been a Christian for decades and no one has ever brought up the possibility that the grains would grow because He was walking through the wheat. If I were a farmer.... I would beg Him to walk through my crops... right?

Now we have Jesus calming the wind and the wave in a violent storm. Was it hypnosis?

Please Cheezgrits.... let's talk about it.... wouldn't it be interesting? And what about all those things in Revelations.... There are so many rich topics.... Moses and the staff.... that's one.... Angels showing up.... Giants....

This doesn't have to be derogatory.... It could be fun.

 

[foodcritic]

HC, after last nights battle thread that thankfully disappeared, I've come to the conclusion that why would I discuss what I think on this forum. If I do, it's going to come across as questioning your faith and I do not want to do that. There is also a common fallacy in discussing religion and that is the excluded middle (or false dichotomy): considering only the extremes. Many people use Aristotelian either/or logic tending to describe in terms of up/down, black/white, true/false, love/hate, etc. (e.g., You either like it or you don't. He either stands guilty or not guilty.) Many times, a continuum occurs between the extremes that people fail to see. The universe also contains many "maybes."

So before all the either you believe everything the bible says or you're an atheist people show up, I'll just leave this discussion open to someone else.

I do enjoy your posts and am glad you are doing well enough again to be with us. Here's to your continued recovery and continued good health.

an interesting comment from ravi zacharias only 7 mins. Logic discussion. Either or logic.

The Law of Non-contradiction vs. The Dialectical System - Ravi Zacharias - YouTube

 

[hotcoffee]

HC, after last nights battle thread that thankfully disappeared, I've come to the conclusion that why would I discuss what I think on this forum. If I do, it's going to come across as questioning your faith and I do not want to do that. There is also a common fallacy in discussing religion and that is the excluded middle (or false dichotomy): considering only the extremes. Many people use Aristotelian either/or logic tending to describe in terms of up/down, black/white, true/false, love/hate, etc. (e.g., You either like it or you don't. He either stands guilty or not guilty.) Many times, a continuum occurs between the extremes that people fail to see. The universe also contains many "maybes."

So before all the either you believe everything the bible says or you're an atheist people show up, I'll just leave this discussion open to someone else.

an interesting comment from ravi zacharias only 7 mins. Logic discussion. Either or logic.

The Law of Non-contradiction vs. The Dialectical System - Ravi Zacharias - YouTube

Some people in these forums have said they believe that Jesus Christ is their Savior. They believe that He died for their sins. They have given their lives over to Him. But.... they also say that they believe that everything in the Bible is absolutely true right down to the word.... because it has been laid to paper [or papyrus] by human hand [divine intervention or not] and it has been translated by humans [and some words from some languages just do not sync up].

I think it totally true. So I'm on the extreme right of the center. I do respect the opinion [and want to understand the thought process better] of those who are to the left of center.

What I mean by this...

OK... back to Jesus in the boat....

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.​

"It was completely calm" is a literary term. It could mean that the wind stopped blowing and the waves subsided and the water became calm.... or it could men that Jesus used the boogie man under the bed type logic.... and everyone was calm and relaxed.

I use relaxation techniques to overcome stress. I have a favorite place that I imagine... a calm place by a river out in Washington State where there are fish jumping, birds singing, and beautiful wildflowers all around. It slows my heartbeat, allows me to breath easily, my muscles relax... I gain peace [pretty hippy like I know]. It works. It's sort of a self hypnosis thing.

When Jesus said “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Did He have to mean He could had physically calmed the wind or the waves, or He had physically and psychologically calmed those around Him so they were no longer stressed to panic?

When I hear someone say they don't believe certain things in the Bible, I don't think they are atheist or that they will loose their Christianity for saying so. I think they see some other meaning in the words. The Bible is a literary work.

The video was hitting on these thoughts.... It really doesn't have to be an "either or" type of argument. It could be an interpretational difference.

A friend of my daughter's says he knows a boy who is a scientist. He says he would like for me to meet his friend so that we can discuss the Bible. Science to faith..... I'm sort of looking forward to meeting this person.

 

[dustin]

Message = The disciples struggled with their faith too (even unknowingly). Just like we all do.