I hope you will have tried the Swedish method of studying Mark 4:35-41 before coming here to see what I have come up with: it really is worth practising this yourself.
My thoughts here are not the right answer: they are just here to tell you what I ended up with myself. And doubtless you have written down some things which I didn’t think of.
Mark 4:35-41 |
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| ↑J | he’s the leader (35), he’s tired (38), so tired that he sleeps through a storm. he talks to the weather and it obeys him (39) he seems surprised that the disciples don’t have faith (40) |
| ↓d | they seem to believe that Jesus can do a miracle (38) do they think he might not care about them? (38) they are more afraid after the storm than they were during the storm (40-41) they don’t know the answer but they’re asking the right question! (41) |
| ? | verse 36: just as he was: what does that mean?!?!? verse 36: other boats with him: is this important?!? |
| ! | the miracle happens – at once (39) you’d expect the big waves to continue for some time after the wind dies down, but it looks like it was completely calm immediately (39) |
| 💡 | |
| → | I want to worship Jesus during today, because he’s Lord. I’m going to pray for friends who are not yet Christians, that they will start asking themselves the question the disciples ask in verse 41. |
Just a comment about the application of the passage (→). The application of this passage is not Jesus can still the storms in our lives, though that is true. But Mark didn’t tell us this story to teach us that. Rather he tells the story so that we will see that Jesus is Lord and so that his readers ask themselves the question the disciples ask in verse 41.
Lastly, a couple of comments about this Swedish method of Bible study. I recommend it as a possible way for you, as leader, to start preparing: it gets you into the passage.
But it’s obviously only one way in. I confess that I no longer use it very often myself.
The other thing to say is this. Sometimes people try to use the Swedish method in the small group meeting itself: the leader gives everyone a piece of paper with the symbols on it, and a pen. Then there’s 4 or 5 minutes of silence while everyone writes down their thoughts.
I’m not sure I’d recommend that. The danger is that some people feel under pressure: they’re afraid their answers are not going to be as good as others’ are. Sure, this might be less of a problem if people do this in pairs. But it can still feel a bit school-ish and off-putting.
So personally I would only ever use the Swedish method as a possible way for me, as leader, to start my preparation.