When you read the passage you can see that Jesus was tired. His human side needed sleep! Jesus' disciples woke him up and said to him,"Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Chaos in the sea, Although they were used to storms, this one terrified the disciples. These rough, dirty, smelly fishermen had given up everything to be with Jesus, given up good-paying jobs, homes, family, and friends to live outside and ask for handouts. These men were afraid.
In my imagination I can see these disciples, like children deciding which one will go into the room to wake up mom or dad. Finally they, probably led by Peter, awakened Jesus as the howling winds got louder and louder. Can't you hear them? "Master, Teacher, don't you care we are about to die? The storm is going to kill us. Get up, Jesus; save us, Lord!"
Verse 39 says, "He woke up". Can't you see Jesus? He had slept through the storm. Jesus knew who had the entire world in creative hands.
Jesus didn't touch the wind, didn't run his hand over the water, didn't call a psychic network. He just said.... the Bible doesn't say he yelled, "Peace, be still!!"
The storm became silent. Silent, like the eye of a hurricane, where only stillness prevails.Silent, like the moment just before you answer a difficult question. It was silent....no more confusion, no more noise, no more anxiety, just no more, no more. It was silent.
Isn't it interesting that the wind and waves don't think.... but had sense enough to do what God said to do? What is our excuse? The the wind and waves obeyed Jesus. No coaxing, no threats, no promises to be halfway obedient. They shut up and stood at attention in recognition of the voice that created the world. Peace entered the sea. Quiet engulfed the boat.
By the word of the Word, peace ruled the lake. By his word, the disciples were saved because the Word spoke a word to nature and dead silence followed. God was still in control.
In verse 40: "He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?'" Can't you see the disciples shaking, sweating, with hearts beating, knees knocking, stomachs in knots now beginning to relax? Can you feel the power? Jesus asks, "Why are you afraid? Don't you get it; haven't you been with me long enough; didn't you see the miracle? Didn't you listen to the sermons? Where is your faith? This storm was only the beginning. Prepare for many more."
Filled with awe, the disciples said, "Who is this?" They knew his earthly identity, but so much was yet to be learned. Who is this standing in the gap, in the tension between faith and fear, between power and paralysis, between life and death, between freedom and bondage, between "Yes, I can" and "No, I can't," between darkness and light? They asked, "Who is this, that even the wind and waves obey?" Who stills the storms in our lives?
Sometimes we must be reminded of who created this world. At any given time in our lives we can face storms, are in storms or storms have just passed. Sometimes we don't know we are in one until we get out of it and we look back and wonder how we got over. Look at the storms in our lives. Some are unexpected. We can't forecast them. Others are self-produced. We know how to avoid them, but something within us keeps us holding onto what is unhealthy or unhappy. Whatever they are, they are your storms.
But we can have peace!!! True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing God is in control. Have peace today.
