I am not an art historian, but I can appreciate a great painting. Most of us have seen the painting The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. As you might guess, it depicts the account of Jesus and the twelve disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Mark records it in Mark 4:35-41. The original painting was stolen from a museum over thirty years ago and has not been recovered.

I am sure the boat in the painting is not historically accurate. It probably looks like a European vessel from the 17th century, when Rembrandt painted the scene. Some might say the storm is too severe. I must admit it is a terrifying scene. But I think Rembrandt’s depiction is very close to what it must have been like. Mark tells us the disciples were afraid they were going to die, and some of them had fished on that lake for many years. It must have been very frightening.

I can also relate to one of the disciples in the painting. He is throwing up over the side of the boat. That is what I would have done. I get seasick very easily. It’s a miserable feeling. Had I been in that boat, I would have thought I was going to die and would have hoped death came quickly. In the painting, all the disciples in the boat are struggling and working hard to survive the storm through which they are going.

It always interests me when I hear art experts interpret a painting. They always see things I’m not able to see. That is why they’re the experts and I am not. I read one such interpretation. The right side of the painting is very dark, which makes sense since the trip took place at night. It was also very dark because of the storm. But the upper left part of the painting shows the blue sky penetrating the darkness. This particular expert said that Rembrandt was showing, through the blue sky, that the kingdom was coming.

I have no idea whether that interpretation is correct or not. I have no idea whether it reflects Rembrandt’s theology. But there is a lot of Biblical truth in that statement.

That boat was full of believers. They had eternal life. But the Lord was putting them through a difficult trial. They were sick, afraid, and sure they were going to die. If you look at the painting, it is easy to see why they are portrayed as feeling that way.

But the disciples were hard at work, even though eternal life is absolutely free. The disciples did not have to go through what they were going through on that lake in order to make it into the kingdom. They were doing it because they were being obedient to Christ.

They were working to be rewarded in the kingdom. They were following Christ because they knew He was the King and they wanted to be great when He ruled over all creation. They knew the kingdom of God belonged to Him.

On that lake, all they saw was the darkness, the waves, the vomit, and their lives passing before their eyes. They couldn’t see the calm blue skies that awaited them.

That is the way it is for the faithful believer. The Lord will put him through trials (Jas 1:3; 1 Pet 1:6-9). He is preparing such a believer not only to be in His kingdom, but to be great in it. That believer should look at what is over the horizon. That is what the Lord was doing for these men in Mark 4:35-41.

Was Rembrandt theologically astute enough to know such things? Is that why he painted the scene as he did? I don’t know. But there are some good sermons in his painting.