June 24

The Hearer of Prayer

And he arose. — Mark 4:39

The roar of the storm He did not hear in His sound sleep; but the moment there was a cry from His disciples for help He instantly awoke. What a revelation of heart have we here! He is never asleep to His people when they call Him. Amid the wildest tumults of this world He ever hears the faintest cry of prayer. Nor is He ever too weary to listen to the supplications of human distress.

We have another illustration of this same quickness to hear prayer in the hours of our Lord’s sufferings on the cross. His life was fast ebbing away. His own agony was intense beyond description. Around Him surged a storm of human passion. Curses fell upon His ear. But amid all this tempest of hate He was silent. To all these bitter insults and keen reproaches He answered not a word. Then amid the derisions and jeers of the multitude there broke a voice of prayer. It came from one of the crosses beside him. It was the penitential cry of a soul — “Lord, remember me.” And in all the tumult of the hour He heard this feeble supplication. In His own agony He gave instant answer. Doubt not that this Jesus always hears prayer. His love is ever on the watch, ready to catch the faintest note of human distress.

Though aroused so suddenly in the midst of such scenes of terror, Jesus awake calm and peaceful. Dean Trench says “It is such cases as these — cases of sudden, unexpected terror, met without a moment of preparation — which test a man what spirit he is of, which show not only his nerve, but the grandeur and purity of his whole nature.” Here we have an illustration of what Christ’s peace was, and of what He meant when He said, “My peace I give unto you.” It was thus He moved through all the turbulent scenes of His earthly life.