Mark 4:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.

NIV: Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

NASB: After dismissing the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.

CSB: So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him.

NLT: So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).

KJV: And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

NKJV: 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.

Jesus has been teaching a crowd from a boat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, probably by Capernaum. Evening has come, and the people have heard all the parables they can absorb (Mark 4:33). Without returning to Peter and Andrew's house to pick something up or even setting foot on shore, Jesus asks the twelve to launch across the lake. If He had gone to shore, the people likely would have rushed Him again, seeking more healing miracles (Mark 3:7–10, 20; 4:1).

The disciples learn that following Jesus requires travelling light. When Jesus sends them out on their own for the first time, He tells them to "take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics" (Mark 6:8–9). This isn't because those things won't come in handy—actually, it's because those items are very useful! But Jesus doesn't want the disciples to grow to rely on worldly things. Paul, sitting in a Roman prison, tells the Philippians that he appreciates their gifts but also knows how to be content without them (Philippians 4:10–14).

This is a theme in Scripture that we often miss. God does not promise His ministers an easy life. He promises to equip us for ministry; failures are on our account, not His. He ensures we can bear any circumstances (Philippians 4:13) and reject any sin (1 Corinthians 10:13), and that He provides what we need in the moment, whether food (Matthew 6:11), clothing (Matthew 6:24–25), or words (Mark 13:11). He does not promise us worldly comforts, or even safety. Just what we need to do His will.

Mark doesn't elaborate as to who is in the other boats, and Luke and Matthew don't mention them. It's possible that the other disciples beyond the twelve asked local fishermen to follow (Mark 4:10), but we just don't know. Perhaps, due to the storm, the other boats fell back that evening and didn't make it across the lake with Jesus and the twelve. Perhaps God allowed the storm for this purpose. Since Scripture is not specific, we really don't know.

Mark 4:35–41 is part of a passage expounding on Jesus' authority. He has demonstrated power over sickness (Mark 3:7–10), demons (Mark 1:21–26), and the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28). Now He controls the wind and the sea. Next, He will conquer a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–13), social conventions (Mark 5:25–34), and death (Mark 5:21–24, 35–43). In this miracle, Jesus displays His authority over nature, specifically conditions that His disciples know and rightfully fear. The story of the storm is also recorded in Matthew 8:23–27 and Luke 8:22–25.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.