Veiled under some real fact in our Lord's life on earth, lie all the revelations of His will in faith and doctrine concerning His Church and His children throughout the ages; so I seem to trace the spiritual teaching of Advent under the storm that befel the disciples on the lake long ago.
I. As I see the time when this took place, I learn something. It was eventide nay, it was more than that it was eventide when these disciples braced the halyards and drew up the brown sail, and gave the prow of their little vessel to the setting sun; but at the crisis of the story it was more than eventide it was night; the hours had sped on, twilight so short in those eastern lands had slipped suddenly away; not alone a storm, but darkness had overtaken these disciples. So with us now the time as of old is eventide; the ages have slipped by and we are standing here, heirs of all the ages past, nearer the time than when we believed. It is eventide with us, and it is something more darkness has overtaken us also.
II. From this darkness on the lake I learn another thing. The darknesses of our holy religion its mysteries, its sacraments make Christ to be prized even more highly than if our faith existed without such darkness and such shrouds. In the dark shadow of these mysteries sits Jesus Christ. It was so of old. It is so now. These disciples, sitting in the setting sun, with light all around them, with no storm battling against their sails; no darkness around them; nothing to hide Christ from them; think you it was good for them; nay that they half realized what they realized of their Master when loosing their vessel, they swept across the sea of Galilee, and entered the darkness; spent the night with Him; discovered the mystery of His hidden presence? I think not; but when they had thus proceeded, how different it was with them, The darkness came; did it take Christ away? nay, it brought Him nearer as their helper. The night fell; it shrouded Him, but it took not Christ away; dearer and closer their yokefellow in danger; it was the reason that he rose up at their greatest need and cried His great words of "Peace, be still."
W. Meller, Village Homilies,p. 9.
References: Mark 4:35; Mark 4:36. A. G. Brown, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxv., p. 309. Mark 4:35-39. Parker, Cavendish Pulpit,vol. i., p. 47.