Is Your Boat Being Tossed About?

December 5, 2023

This week I read some of the stories of Jesus’ miracles and I ran across one of my favorite stories. It felt like the story I should share in this blog.

Jesus said to the disciples: “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”

They took Him into the boat and started out. They left the crowds behind.

However, as they traveled a “fierce storm” came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Guess where Jesus was? He was sleeping at the back of the boat with His head on a cushion.

Guess what the disciples did? They woke Him up and they shouted: “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

I love what followed: “When Jesus woke up, he rebuked he wind and said to the waves,‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.”

Jesus asked them: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

And this is what the reaction was of the disciples— “they were absolutely terrified.”

They asked--- “Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!”

My commentary makes the point that Jesus rebuked the storm once and the wind ceased at once, and a calm came immediately.

Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. Perhaps He was saying that if they had confidence in God, they had no reason to be afraid, even though Jesus was asleep.

These are some ideas I take away from the story:

Jesus identifies with our storms. He experienced a few Himself.

We are not to fear when the storms come up in our lives. Jesus is with us in the boat.

I don’t fully understand what Jesus expected them to do. Perhaps He was telling them that they had power they didn’t even realize. They certainly were to have faith in Him even with the danger of the wind and waves.

To be more specific, I can think of personal challenges or losses and I’m sure you can too. It helps me to remind myself that, just as the disciples experienced, Jesus is in the boat with me—and with you. We could remind ourselves of what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit. One of the ways He described Him was as One who goes alongside us.

I just love to picture Jesus standing up in the boat and with great authority speaking to the wind and waves to be silent and then--sudden calm. I pray He speaks to whatever storm may be in your life and that there may be a “great calm.”