00:28Welcome back, brothers.
00:29Welcome back, brothers and sisters, to another class in our Synoptic Gospels course, where we are delving deeper into the narrative.
00:36of Saint Mark. This unit is very clear and presents us with four miracles of different natures, and a concluding scene.
00:46in the synagogue of Nazareth, which serves as a balance to better understand the situation.
00:53For the first time, Jesus goes into pagan territory, and there he encounters unclean spirits. And after his return to
01:01In the land of Israel, two intertwined miracles take place, both involving two women suffering in different ways: the woman with the hemorrhage and
01:11Jairo's daughter, who regain their lives upon coming into contact with Jesus.
01:16As always, it is very important to observe the different reactions of the people.
01:25This section takes place around the Sea of Galilee, and all the episodes included in this section are actions of
01:34Jesus, who show his power and authority, which will be evident in the final episode.
01:43Brothers, the crowds were asking this: Where does this power come from? This authority? What wisdom is this? And that
01:54power to perform miracles?
01:56This entire section is closely related to Jesus' first action in Capernaum, since the miraculous actions of
02:06Jesus in this section represents a miracle of nature, an exorcism, a healing, and a revival that are collected
02:16with a conclusion.
02:17The calmed storm
02:20Natural phenomena take on an important role here, as if they were unclean spirits that we know Jesus dominated, as happens with
02:33the previous story.
02:34The narrative echoes the Old Testament. Jesus' authority over the waters is the one mentioned in the Psalm.
02:43when it says
02:45They entered the sea in ships, trading on the vast waters. They beheld the works of God, His wonders in the
02:56ocean.
02:56He spoke and raised a stormy wind, which lifted the waves high. They rose to the heavens, they went down to the abyss,
03:08Their lives withered away from the dizziness. They rolled, they staggered like drunkards, and their skill was of no use to them.
03:17But they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He stilled the storm to a gentle breeze, and
03:29The waves of the sea fell silent. They rejoiced at the calm, and he led them to the longed-for port.
03:39There is also an allusion to Jonah, the anti-prophet, who causes the storm by fleeing from the mission of salvation.
03:48to the Gentiles to whom God called him.
03:52But Jesus is a kind of foreshadowing of Jonah, and here he goes to the pagan shore, and he has the
04:00authority to master the storm, the chaos and its danger.
04:05The contrast between this presentation of Jesus and that of the disciples becomes more evident, since the reaction of
04:14This is fear and lack of faith.
04:18But it is interesting to read this passage, along with two others, in which the disciples appear in a boat.
04:26In all three scenes, the common thread is the incomprehension, fear, and lack of faith of their followers.
04:34Faith, brothers, is proof of the mission for which Jesus has chosen you, and you will always find yourselves together.
04:42in difficulty when they appear riding in a boat.
04:46The fear of the unknown, of the forces of chaos or disorder that separate the shore from the Jewish land
04:54of the impure pagan territory.
04:57The disciples think they know the territory, but as soon as the storm begins, they need Jesus to impose his authority.
05:08The situation accurately reflects what very often happens in the life of a believer.
05:16Times of spiritual refreshment in the presence of the Lord are alternated with periods of testing.
05:23And as we see in this passage, all of this is prepared and directed by the Lord himself.
05:30We can be sure that Christ knew a terrible storm was coming, but nevertheless He made them
05:38to cross the sea at that time.
05:41Why did he do it?
05:43Because practical situations are the only appropriate way to complement theoretical teaching.
05:50It had certainly been very interesting to hear the Lord preaching about the importance of faith and of what
05:58that He Himself would do for those who had faith, even if it was as small as a mustard seed.
06:05Now it was time to put the teaching into practice.
06:09Would the disciples have faith in this new situation to which the Lord was leading them?
06:16We could say it was a kind of pop quiz, and if the Lord planned it that way, it was because they were...
06:23prepared for it.
06:25Let us recall that at the end of our previous study we considered the way the Lord taught and saw that
06:33He spoke to them in parables, according to what they could hear.
06:39We can be sure, therefore, that the Lord believed they were prepared to face such a situation.
06:47He would never put us in a situation he knows we're not ready for, and he'll never leave us alone.
06:55to get out of it.
06:58It is interesting to note that during the storm, Jesus was fast asleep in the boat.
07:05We learn several things from this detail.
07:09The first thing one notices is the humanity of Jesus.
07:14After the great efforts of those days, I was tired, exhausted, and in need of rest and sleep.
07:23So neither the roar of the winds, nor the crashing of the waves, nor the turning and descending of
07:30The boat, which was quickly taking on water, managed to wake him up.
07:34We must also learn from their trust in Heavenly Father.
07:41His peaceful sleep, amidst the turbulent sea, reveals his complete trust in God his Father, secure
07:50that it can never fail.
07:52When the storm unleashed its full fury, those men became distressed; they felt like playthings of the storm.
08:02storm, and in serious danger of drowning.
08:06Let us remember, brothers, that at least four of the apostles who were in that boat were fishermen, who knew from their
08:15youth the sea of Galilee and its storms.
08:18This teaches us several things.
08:21The Lord tested his faith in the context of his daily life.
08:26Life's tribulations and trials show us our uselessness and incapacity even in what we think we master well.
08:37And finally, these situations strip us of all pride and self-sufficiency and serve to draw us to the throne of grace.
08:51Thank you!
09:04Thank you!
09:06Thank you!
09:06Thank you!
09:06Thank you!
