On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Jesus had given a long description, through parables, of what it looked like to live by faith. Now they were to receive a memorable demonstration. Whenever we look at familiar accounts in scripture, we should not just rush through, thinking we know it all. Like in verse 36, when it says: they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. What does that mean? Just as He was. He was tired, exhausted, and of seemingly little use to them as a seahand in getting the boat to the other side. As they awake Him, what are they asking Him to do? By their response to what He did do, it was not at all what they were asking Him to do. They were asking Him to grab a rope or grab a bucked and do something to help save their ship and save their lives. But that's not what Jesus does. He speaks to, He rebukes first the storm, then His students. He simply speaks to the sea: "Be still!", and it did. What is the takeaway for the disciples, and for us? Whatever it seems to us to be big enough to make our lives out of control is under His control. He is there to help us through the storm, but often not the way we envision He could or should. Don't hand Him a bucket; ask Him to speak.
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