Does Jesus allow, or lead us, into trials?

I have to disagree with a sermon where a preacher, referring to Mark chapter 4, said, "Jesus Christ led them into the storm. That's right. He orchestrated it. It wasn't just some by happen stance, what do you know it happened - no, it's very clear that Jesus was the one that allowed it to happen - actually led them into it." 

This statement was in the middle of two other statements:  first, that everyone is either headed into, into, or coming out of some sort of storm, and second, that every one of us are going through some sort of issue in life. If that is the truth, then are we all to believe that Jesus is the One orchestrating all of these storms? What does that make Jesus to me? A friend or foe?

I want to propose my reasoning for why I completely disagree with his proclamation that Jesus led his disciples into that storm on purpose. I also hope this post will alert the body of Christ to be sure to line everything we hear, believe, and say with the Word of God. It is easy to put our own assumptions and interpretations into things. We all need grace in this area as we each seek to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. With His truth, we are set free.

I could not even listen to the rest of the sermon, though I wanted to use it as an excuse to keep "sleeping in" (I had just woken up and had turned it on while I was laying there). That statement jarred my spirit. Was it true that Jesus actually led His disciples into that storm on purpose?  This could not be! After years of trying to make sense of our own tragedies and suffering, there is one thing I have finally come to peace with - that Jesus is our salvation in all situations and that He does not cause, or allow, us to suffer for His name sake! Once again, I was momentarily shaken by this possibility. I got up to read the Word for myself.

Did my paradigm of the Word of God still stand - or had I been deceived yet again?

Whose idea was it to get into the boat and cross to the other side?

Mark 4: 35-41 

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side.""

So far, we see Jesus suggesting for them to get in a boat and cross the sea to get to the other side. It does NOT say He had ill intentions or knew of the weather forecast. It does NOT tell us anything to believe the weather looked good or bad.  

This same story is told in three of the gospels, so I will answer my question using all three versions of this story.

Luke 8:22-25 

"Now it happened, on a certain day [God's planned day for this event, or just a random day?], that He got into a boat with His disciples [did He follow them, or did they follow Him]. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." [They were already in the boat, so why would Jesus make a suggestion like this? Perhaps it is Jesus just saying, "Ok. We are ready, let's go."?)] And they launched out."

Here is the version that got my attention that Jesus did not purposely set His disciples up - to take them out on the water to test or grow their faith, or teach them a lesson.

Matthew 8:23-27

"Now when He [Jesus] got into a boat, His disciples followed Him."

So, they were following Him. To be fair, I look back a little further to see what was happening just before this.

Matthew 8 is telling us of a time when Jesus was performing many miracles and multitudes were following Him, and He just needed a little space.

• Verse 1 "great multitudes followed Him"
• He cleansed the leper.
• Verse 5, He entered Capernaum and a centurion,with great attention getting faith, pleaded for healing for his paralyzed servant.
• Verse 10, "He said to those who followed..."
• When He got to Peter's house, He helped Peter's mother in law's fever.
• By that evening, "they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed" and He healed all who were sick
• Verse 18 "And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side."

At this point, it seems clear that He was spent, exhausted, ready for a change of scenery. It does not seem any of those stories are Jesus launching out on His ministry looking for people to help. These were people all coming to Him and He encountering the call of compassion, service, and using His ministry to help where needed.  Yes, He was God in the flesh, but He was also a man, and I assume He was exhausted and needed to regroup.  His ministry was taking off so fast after He simply went to the top of a mountain and preached truth. 

I do not read into this story, that Jesus was ready for the next challenge. That He was acting as full-time God, orchestrating a storm on the sea and deceiving His disciples by purposely going to sleep while they were about to encounter a great storm.  I think Jesus truly wanted to leave the area where He had just prompted a massive following and truly fell asleep as the boat peacefully traveled to the other side.

Mark 4:36  adds this detail about the multitude: "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." Notice, people were still following Him in little boats. He was not just with His disciples on that sea. If Jesus orchestrated this storm, was His goal to hurt those following Him? Those He had just taught with authority and demonstrated His great compassion and power by answering their calls for healing and help?

Where Did the Storm Come From?

Matthew 8:24 "And suddenly [without warning] a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves."

Mark 4:37 "And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling."

Luke 8:23 "But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy." 

I did not find this same story in the book of John; but there is a story with a stormy sea.  

John 6:16-21 In this story, the disciples got into a boat, without Jesus, and were going to the other side. Here is what the Bible tells us about this storm.  "Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing." Jesus walks on the water to come meet them and takes them immediately to the other side.

Again, if we just take what the Scriptures say at face value, we see a simple cause and effect in nature. The wind was blowing, and therefore, the sea arose. In this story, we do not see the disciples were in danger in this particular storm, but we do see that Jesus came to rescue them, so I am assuming the storm was significant. I guess, someone could say this storm was also caused by Jesus so that He could prove Himself faithful and their rescuer in time of need, but I do not agree with that analysis. I believe the Bible is clearly revealing only natural scientific laws and principles at work here - and not a super deep hidden spiritual message (the Bible is full of Science facts). 

So, was the storm caused by Jesus, nature, or something else?

Let us not forget there are evil and demonic forces at play in our earthly world as well. Is it just as possible this storm could have been orchestrated by the devil? We just saw the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness before He changed lives and collected a following of people. Why wouldn't the devil try to interrupt His much needed rest?

1 John 3:8 tells us, "...the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

Clearly, from this one verse, we see the devil is at work and Jesus is on a mission to destroy his works.

Based on the three verses alone, no one can reasonably deduct that Jesus was aware of the oncoming storm, or that He caused it to happen. Therefore, it cannot be honestly concluded that He purposely led His disciples (and remember those other little boats) into this jeopardy (yes, the Bible clearly tells us they were in danger).  

Personal Testimony When I Blamed God and Almost Walked Away from Him

I want to quickly share why I may be so sensitive to pick up on these quick statements I hear my brothers and sisters in Christ say. 

After my husband was in a terrible accident that left him quadriplegic, without an income-producing job, and me to take care of him, our three small children, and our entire lives, I was in a very vulnerable place of exhaustion both physically and spiritually.

One day, a few months into this tremendous life change, I was thinking over things and of course I am sure I was wondering why and how this could have happened - to me? I had just felt I had finally come out of my horrendous childhood, a survivor. I had put myself through college, a survivor. I had gotten married and had children and had made it to the ten-year mark of having the same family even after some really rough marital waters, a survivor. I finally felt I was strong enough, healed enough, and wise enough to launch out and tell my stories as a way to bring God glory and lead others to Him.  I had told a few people my testimony and I had put a website together in faith to get the ball rolling to be used by God. In all of my pain and suffering, I had kept turning it to Him, trusting Him, letting Him use me for His glory.  But this? This was too much! Way too much!  

Of course I recognized I wasn't perfect, but did I deserve this?  

No, I knew I didn't, because I believed firmly in the gospel message of His grace and mercy and forgiveness. I knew though I stumbled and sinned, I was truly trying to walk obediently as His child.  He knew my heart was for Him and His purposes.

How and why would this horrible, impossible, destructive thing happen to me after all I had gone through already and purposed to serve Him with?

All I could come up with was this concept I had heard over and over. That God was sovereign (meaning He was in control of everything). That God would use  my suffering for His glory. On and on and on down those lines. And then it hit me! He was an ego-tistical, fame and glory seeking God and was doing this all at my expense.  He was using me!  

Well, I was tired of it. I did not want to continue being in "the Lord's army" if I was going to get beaten down, rise up, give Him credit, and get knocked back down again. I was so tired of being broken.  And the sudden realization of this cycle that He was orchestrating made me disgusted that I was a part of it. I wanted out.

And so, I declared that. I told Him something like this.

"God, if you are going to keep breaking me down so that you can use me and get all the glory, I'm done. I am not going to serve you anymore."

And I meant it. It was over.  I could not keep hurting this deeply for Him to fill me with hope only to hurt me again. (Sounds like a sick human relationship, an abusive relationship.)

As soon as I said that to the Lord, INSTANTANEOUSLY, He answered my spirit.  

"You are blaming the wrong person." He said.

I was immediately aware of His response though I had no idea what He was talking about. I was silent. He continued by reminding me of His Word. This is how I knew it was Him. I identified Him by His words lining up with His Word.

"I want none to perish. I leave the 99 to go after the 1. Why would I do things to you to tempt you to leave Me when I am the One who rescues you? I am your Salvation."

And just like that, without any outside teaching or preaching, I knew the years of people trying to say the right, comforting, things in my pain were ALL WRONG.  It was twisted thinking. It was well-meaning but deceitful words that had led me all the way to this moment where I was ready to surrender - but to the wrong force. I was giving up on God, because I believed He was causing, or allowing, all of these horrible hurtful things in my life and my role was to put my trust and hope in Him and bring Him glory. The problem was that small, yet HUGE, detail - the source of my suffering. It was NOT from God.

This led me on a journey, one I am still on a decade later.  I have narrowed down my suffering is NOT always from God, and that has made a tremendous difference in how I handle life's hard things.  (A post for another time).

Closing Thoughts

So, in reference to the Biblical story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves, I hope I have established enough evidence to support that no one can conclude from this story alone that Jesus allowed or caused that storm as a test, trial, or teaching for His disciples. The storm happened, yes. But, that does not mean it is was God's will, or Jesus' desire, for it to happen. It is possible, that preacher is blaming the wrong person. Just as it is possible, the devil continues to deceive so many to blame God for everything that happens in their life - both good or bad - as his effort to separate each of us from the love of God and His salvation from and through these storms.

You see, if we think the storm is from Him, then it almost seems disrespectful to use His Word to try to overcome them. Or even worse, we may not think we are supposed to overcome them, and we end up allowing them to overcome us.  Outsiders may see this, and while we went down praising the Lord with our tongues, our testimonies are that we still went down - and outsiders may say, "Why would I want to serve a God who does that to His children. No thanks."

~For truth and life to abound,

Rachelle Suzanne :)
12-9-2018

Update 12/20/18: 

Jonah 1:4 "But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up."

When I happened to read this, the other night, I knew I needed to update my original post.  This is why the WORD of God can seem so confusing - or trying to understand the WORD of God. We cannot take one set of Scriptures and define an entire position on anything. It seems we must take the WHOLE WORD of God into consideration before drawing out any conclusions or life applications.  

For now, to be brief, the way I reconcile this - because it clearly shows in this particular example, the LORD was the one sending the wind on the sea (whereas in the New Testament accounts we do not see that distinction), is my belief that the God we see in the Old Testament who interacts with, blesses, and destroys people is the same God we know today; the difference is, Jesus. Those who have believed in and accepted Jesus have a different relationship with God. Jesus is our Savior, our Rescuer, our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Protection, our Strength and Force, and our Friend. I still do not believe JESUS would set his disciples up in a manipulative way while he went to sleep.  This thought just occurred to me... perhaps God was in charge of that storm and Jesus knew nothing of God's intentions there? If that is the case, or no matter the SOURCE of that sudden storm, the key is what Jesus said in response, "Why are you so fearful, O you of little faith?"

Quick disclaimer and note:  I do not write this blog post as a way to discredit preachers or specifically any particular one.  I do not write this blog post to position myself as a sole authority on God's Word.  However, I feel compelled to speak up on this reoccurring issue and theme, of the source and purpose of our earthly suffering, I continue to be sensitive to in the body of Christ. I feel it is my call to tell our story and offer another perspective on how we have found peace and hope in the midst of our great sufferings. It has not been through accepting that, "It must be God's Will", or that "God is trying to teach or test us", or especially not that "God will not give us more than we can handle, therefore we must be able to handle what we have been 'given'". 

All Scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise notated.