Asleep in the storm.
“He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:26-27)
I love the Bible. I love the bible for a myriad of reasons, but today I love it because of the way that it highlights not only the divinity of our Savior, but his humanity. In this text in Matthew, there is a glimpse of the humanity of Jesus in that he needed a nap. I don’t know about you all but I have been a sucker for a good nap all of my life. At times I can get overwhelmed by how many miracles he performed and the overall perfection of Jesus. Tiny details like this help me to feel a new closeness to God.
In Matthew’s account of this story, the disciples are faced with a storm while they are sailing to their next destination. To put this in perspective, traveling by boat already comes with some instability due to floating on water. I can not imagine the discomfort of riding on an unstable surface with the added pressure of unstable weather conditions. But then again, I can think of my own life. I can think back on times of uncertainty. I remember being so broke I couldn’t afford an uber to class, being in a toxic relationship, and trying to figure out my life post-graduation. I remember being quarantined, businesses and daily life globally being put on pause as a result of the COVID19 virus in 2020. So no, I may not have been on a literal boat, but I have been on some wavy surfaces. What about you? Can you think of a time when storms raged around you and caused genuine fear? You can be honest here, girl! So we understand why the disciples woke the sleeping Jesus in a panic! However, with them as an example, how can we actively try to respond differently when our own storms threaten our stability?
When Jesus woke up, he did not condemn them for waking him up from his nap. That lets us know that God WANTS us to come to him when we are faced with the wind and waves that are rocking our boat. Us coming to Him shows that we know He is the one who can save us, and I believe seeking God in the storm is an act of worship. It says “if I didn’t believe you could help, I wouldn’t come to you.” Instead, the problem is the state of mind they were in when they came to him. Fear. The Bible says that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” And when Jesus woke to panicked disciples who had been walking with him and knew the power he possessed, he said “you of little faith, why are you so afraid? (Matthew 8:26)” This suggests that allowing fear to take root in our hearts impacts our ability to truly walk in faith. The very thing that we need to please God is impeded when we make decisions in, and internalize fear. This convicted me! How long have I been walking with God, witnessing His might and power, only to come to him full of fear?
Prayer
Father God, I thank you for sending Jesus who was fully human enough to understand me and fully God enough to save me. I pray that this year as the waves rumble and the thunder roar, we would continue to run to the savior who is with us even in the storm. But this time when we run to You, we run in worship. We will run to You lifting up others in praise. This time we run to Jesus setting the stage to let his might be showcased to all the Earth. God, today I love you more because even the wind and waves obey you! What a mighty God I serve! I will not be afraid.
