Luke 8: 22 – 25 NLT
Jesus Calms the Storm
“One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. 23 As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. 25 Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”
The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”
Intervarsity Press’ New Testament Commentary (online) says, “As the disciples and Jesus set about to cross the lake (the Sea of Galilee), a severe storm kicks up. We can tell the problem is severe since some in the boat had been professional fishermen and are now in a panic. Such storms are not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee, since the surrounding topography lends itself to sudden weather changes. The sea is some 680 feet below sea level. It is surrounded by hills, the steepest of which lie on its eastern shore. Coming through the hills, cool air reaches a ravine and collides with trapped warm air over the water. As any meteorologist will tell you, this produces volatile conditions.”
“Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” For sure, these disciples are in a panic – and Jesus is sleeping. Jesus’ disciples had followed him because they were convinced he was the Messiah. They had seen him heal people and raise a young man from the dead. Now they are in a boat in the middle of a serious storm and they are panicking. When Jesus woke up, he immediately calmed the storm. And “then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”
That makes me think. They knew he was in the boat. He was with them. Did they think Jesus was going to drown too? Or did they think he didn’t care about them? They would drown, but he wouldn’t?
We’ve just gone through a tough year with the pandemic. Some of us have lost loved ones to Covid. Some of you couldn’t be with parents or family members in their final moments, couldn’t even commemorate them with a funeral. Some of us have lost jobs, or have been laid off so much that finances have become a big issue. Some of us have felt very lonely, separated from family and friends. Some of us are worried about our kids’ education since they aren’t responding well to online classes. Some of us are struggling with mental/emotional illness. Like the disciples, do we cry out and wonder if God knows what we are going through? Do we wonder if God cares? Is he with us? Is he with us in our boat in the storm?
Yes, he is!
He is with us.
He cares.
He won’t let us be swamped and destroyed by difficult times.
Our song for today is Through All Of It by Colton Dixon