StormProofSample

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell of a ferocious gale that blew up quickly on the Sea of Galilee one fine day. The storm that only Jesus had the power to control was a disturbance that some translations actually describe as having been caused by an earthquake. Therefore, this was not a gentle spring shower or even a tropical thundershower—it was the ultimate monster of a storm.

Told from three different perspectives, the message is the same: the boat was being covered, literally swamped, by the high waves of the wicked storm. The words that are used in the Greek in all three verses communicate the fact that the boat was being filled to capacity with the water that the storm was churning up. The danger was great and their very lives were at stake. Their boat couldn’t take one more drop of water or it would sink to the bottom of the Sea of Galilee— where other unfortunate mariners had gone before them. 

When life stirs up an especially caustic blast of unstable conditions, we, like the twelve disciples, often forget the power of the God whom we serve. And in our weakest and most vulnerable moments, we, as did they, accuse our Lord of not caring about the storm that has interrupted our idyllic life. 

I find it striking that while the disciples were panicking, Jesus was sleeping. While the sea- savvy sailors were filled with fear, Jesus was filled with peace and contentment. Please note that the circumstances of Jesus and the circumstances of the disciples were exactly the same, but their reactions were completely opposite. In the middle of my storms, I want to be like Jesus—not like those who accused Him of not caring. I want to be able to sleep peacefully while the world rages around me, and I long to be a carrier of the peace and hope of His presence. 

Jesus was able to sleep during those violent conditions because He intimately knew the Father—the One who created the seas and the wind. He knew that He was in very good hands even in the middle of a ferocious storm. And so are you, my friend. So are you.