Welcome to our Bible study on the Gospel of Mark. Now in this episode, we're going to see the theme of faith, not fear. We're going to see this in two extraordinary stories and episodes that are very, very dramatic, which Mark loves. We're going to see it at the end of the Gospel of Mark

chapter 4, verse 35. We'll start with our first story. And this story takes place on the Sea of

Galilee and on Peter's boat. We spent a lot of time in Peter's house and besides the waters.

Now Mark has taken us offshore into Peter's boat and we're told that on that day when evening

had come he said to them let us go across to the other side and leaving the crowd they took him

with them just as he was in the boat and other boats were with them and a great storm of wind arose and the waves beat into the boat

so that the boat was already filling. Notice the waves aren't being against the boat, they're beating

into the boat. That's how big these waves are. And that's causing problems of, you know, the threat of

capsizing. But what's Jesus doing in the midst of the storm? But he was in

the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him. Now, before we get to that part, notice that

little detail. This is typical of Mark. Even though Mark is the shortest of all the Gospels, he's shorter than Matthew.

When Mark tells a story that Matthew has, Mark's account is usually more detailed and longer.

Now you would think, wait a minute, if Mark is just the abbreviator of Matthew, he would be shorter on details, but that is not the case.

It's simply that Mark cuts out entire sections, entire speeches of Jesus, like the

Sermon of the Mount, which is three chapters long, and very long chapters at that.

So Mark cuts out a lot of stuff, but when he describes an event and a narrative and a story,

he gives it to us with further and deeper and richer detail than Matthew.

And so I like this idea of, and Mark is the only gospel to mention that Jesus was asleep on a cushion.

Now why does Peter remember that? Because it was Peter's boat. And that was

probably Peter's cushion. Like, I'm sure Andrew couldn't use Peter's cushion, right? I'm sure James

and John couldn't use Peter's cushion, but the Lord uses Peter's cushion. Right? So just a little

detail that I reflect on and I think, hmm,

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