I can even imagine the utter confusion in watching someone sleep peacefully, or dare I say confidently, amidst the chaos. I might even find it a little obnoxious. We are all racing around doing everything humanly possible to battle this storm, and this guy can’t be bothered from his beauty-sleep?
And then as a last resort, we holler out, louder than the roaring winds.
The Bible says the disciples cried out something along the lines of, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (Matthew 8:25 NIV). But, since we are imagining things here, I’d imagine their tone was more like, “Um, hello!!! Could you give us a hand, here!!!”
Jesus awakens, I’d imagine with a good-grief-sigh, and says, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:26 NIV). Of course He calms the storm, but it’s His pointed commentary to His disciples that’s always struck me.
“You of little faith…”
And maybe I imagine this part this way because I always wake up on the sarcastic side of the bed, but it’s as though He’s saying, “How many times will it take before you get it?! You’ve seen me turn water to wine, perform miraculous healings, drive out evil spirits, fill your nets with fish, and literally raise the dead. Yet, here we are, in this storm, and instead of just saying something to me before you absolutely freaked out, you turned to me when all else failed…as though I’ve not been in this very boat, in your storm, all along…like you think I actually don’t know it’s raining?.”
I imagine Jesus was at least a little disappointed, but He wasn’t surprised. To the disciples, the moment was about the storm. But to Jesus, it was about their hearts. Heaven speaks, and nature obeys. It’s been that way since Genesis. We consider this a miracle, but Jesus knows the true work, the true miracle, is not commanding the winds, the diseases, the fish, the water, or the wine. Can He do those things? Sure. But the true miracle is the transformation and purification of the heart.
I imagine Jesus’s slumber was really some extreme spiritual quiet time as He prepared for what awaited He and the disciples on the other shore. When Jesus got in the boat that day, He told the disciples He wanted to go across the lake. I doubt He told them why. Chapter 5 in the book of Mark gives us the rest of the story. “Hey guys let’s take a boat ride across the lake” probably sells better than, “We need to go see a terrifying guy about his demons. Yes, that’s demons, with an ‘s’…Lots of them. The chains cannot bind him anymore. Also there will be pig suicide. It’s all good. Nothing to worry about. You’ll see when we get there.”
I guess if Jesus would have lead with that, the storm wouldn’t have felt like such an issue. On second thought, though, I wonder if the disciples would have agreed to go, at all. Jesus already knew that his closest company still didn’t get it before they even encountered the storm. Truly, the storm was just a distraction, and the enemy attempted to seize the opportunity to chip away at the faith the disciples would need when reaching the shore. Jesus knew the true miracle waiting to happen was on the other side of the lake, and he knew that the demon-possessed heart was not the only heart in need of transformation. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us that His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. Jesus knew his followers lack of faith would prevent them from even getting on the boat if they knew what awaited them, and their reaction to the storm only highlighted that point.
I’ve never been on a fishing boat during a massive storm. But I’ve been through some proverbial tsunamis. I’ve cried out to Jesus, “Can’t you see, I’m drowning, here!!!” And over, and over…no matter how many times it takes, He reminds me of His presence.
I’ve never been on a fishing boat during a massive storm. But I’ve been through the storm of 2020, and 8 days in to 2021, it’s starting to feel like we’ve reached “the other side”…the side with suicidal farm animals.
We cannot let the storm of 2020 rob us of the faith we will most certainly need as we arrive on the shore. Perhaps Jesus has called us here, because this is where the true miracle begins. I don’t know what will happen with he pandemic. I don’t know if it will snow on Sunday or what this year’s tornado season will bring. But I do know that we serve a Father who, if it is His will, can transform and restore our souls. He can cast out the demons and renew the hearts of His children.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though we are living with this confidence. It seems that we of such little faith (or perhaps with such little short term memory) have forgotten the many ways He has shown his presence in bold magnificence and in calm whispers. It is practically impossible to embrace this when we look to Heaven as a last resort…when we throw up our hands in resignation and lament, “Well, all we can do is pray,” as though prayer is not our most magnificent gift.
In 2021 let us reach for Jesus, first thing. Let us remember He is taking us on a journey to transform the heart…the hearts of others and our own. As I imagine my storm, I will pray Proverbs 3:5-6 each day…multiple times a day probably…”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
