A quick recap: As Jesus and the disciples are sailing across the lake, a pretty major storm comes up and the disciples are, understandably, pretty scared about it. They wake Jesus up (He was napping the back of the boat) and he rebukes them for their lack of faith. He says, 'Peace! Be still!' and the winds and the waters immediately calm.
There is a tremendous lesson here for us. There are three things this story can teach us (probably many more, but these three come to mind):
- Jesus takes rest seriously. Think about it: a storm is raging on the waters of the sea, and he's taking a nap. Sweet! Jesus took naps. Jesus liked to rest. He was intentional about it...it tells us that he was "in the back of the boat". This means he likely went away from the other disciples to find a quiet (or quieter) place in which to rest. It would be easy for us to say that he could have spent that time more productively...teaching the disciples, praying, spending time with God, or any number of other things. And He does those things plenty. But in this case, he's just taking a snooze. Love it.
- God is all-powerful. We forget that God has the ability...the power...to do anything. He can calm the raging seas, the roaring winds, the thunderous chaos in our lives. He can move mountains. He can use some wood and some nails to change the course of human history and bring salvation to a broken and dying world. God can do anything, and He promises that, through Him, we can too (Phil 4:13, " I can do all things through him who strengthens me.").
- We need to trust God. He created the universe and all that is in it. He calls us to have faith that He will take care of us and to put ALL of our faith...ALL of our beings...into His hands. When the seas rage, He calms them with a word. And when the disciples feared, He rebuked them. His Word tells us not to worry...to trust Him. When He says, "Peace! Be still!", I don't believe He's just talking to the waves and the wind...I believe He's also talking to the disciples. He's telling them that, despite their (natural) reaction of fear and anxiety, they need to "Be still". His promise is not only to calm the storms raging in the world around them, but to calm their hearts and their anxieties as well. He offers a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.").
