A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Storms, unfortunately, are a part of life. We are meant to pray, not for no trials or tribulation, but that we would face none so great that it would be impossible to bear. This, Paul assures us, will always be the case.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (see First Corinthians 10:13).
This assurance that we have about the temptations and trials we will be allowed to endure in this life does not guarantee we won't reach the point where our boat is already filling up and seems on the verge of sinking. The fact of the matter is the one thing that guarantees the safety of our boat is that Jesus is together with us. We are meant to notice that he is unperturbed by the storm, bearing a peace within him that is obviously supernatural. Yet when we do see Jesus like this we often fault him for not being more upset himself, mistaking his peaceful repose for indifference. Thus we arrive at one of the great and difficult questions of the Christian life.
Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?
Trials and temptations that don't perturb the teacher seem to imply a callous indifference on his part. Or rather, they seem that way to us, who insist on being brought to terror by the storms we face, who insist that lack of terror in any witness or participant implies a lack of sympathy or understanding. What are we to do then? Do we let the teacher sleep? This is not recommended as by now we have already demonstrated that our own sea faring skill is not enough to keep our boat afloat. The disciples weren't rebuked for waking Jesus, but for a lack of trust. But that lack of trust came about because there were any trials at all rather than smooth sailing across the sea of Galilee.
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
The fact that the wind and the seas obey Jesus, but that there are still sometimes storms, leads us to the uncomfortable realization that Jesus must permit the storms we encounter in life. There must be some genuine good and real growth that can come from learning to face them together with Jesus. Perhaps, like the disciples, we might grow in faith. Like Job, we may realize more fully the majestic and awesome identity of God.
they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
The key to successful travel across the seas of life is to take, not Jesus as we would like or imagine him to be, but just as he is, in our boat with us. This ought to mean we accept the things that come with accepting Jesus. It ought to mean we learn to notice storms and turn to him immediately rather than first struggling on our own and only after that turning to Jesus. We need not become distressed when he waits for us wake him up. Surely this is a part of the lesson he wants to teach.
They cried to the LORD in their distress;
from their straits he rescued them,
He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze,
and the billows of the sea were stilled.
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