I was talking to a dear friend last night about the struggles in life. Her struggles, mine, and those of others that we know. Sometimes it just seems like you have been in a storm for too long and you want Jesus to do something already! As I was reading the story of Peter walking on water, and the other well known calming of the sea and winds, several things struck me. They may seem like dull insights, but to me they are revolutionary.
My friend and I were discussing why Jesus seemed upset with the disciples when they came to Him and wrested Him from His slumber with their cries for help. After all, are we not supposed to cry out to God in our times of need? Don’t we share their voice, “Don’t You care is we drown?” Does He not want to hear our needs and pleas for His mercy? Why did He rebuke the disciples? As we discussed this further, something hit me. Maybe it was not that they asked, but why they asked. Their lack of faith.
By lack of faith I mean, why did they ask? The Son of God was in the boat with them. If they truly believed that Jesus was the Son of the Most High, then why be frightened at all. Did they really think that God was going to let His own Son drown? Another reason for His anger may have stemmed from their inability to take the same posture as He. Jesus was sleeping in the middle of a cataclysmic storm. A storm that has even the most seasoned fishermen screaming for salvation.
If Jesus was resting in the middle of the storm, practicing the very meaning of trust, then what reason had they to be afraid? Fear-- is a familiar word for all of humanity. Crying out when we are afraid is also familiar. All too familiar. I know that Jesus wants us to come to Him in the midst of our storms and trials. However, I also believe that He wants us to remember WHO He is and what that should mean in our lives. If the disciples had truly believed that Christ was the Son of God, their fear would have been tempered with trust, not doubtful panic.
Jesus often says, “Fear not.” I don’t believe that He has any expectation that we will never experience fear. I think that what He’s saying is that our fear should not keep us from resting in Who He is in our lives. This brings me back to our ocean adventures. Jesus didn’t rebuke His friends because of their fear, but because of their lack of trust in who He was. First, in the storm where He was sleeping, and then again when He was walking on water. They should have trusted Him the first time no? Yet, once again, when they were caught in another storm their fear led to more doubt.
When Peter asks to walk on water He steps out in faith, then lets fear cause Him to doubt. Jesus phrases it perfectly, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” So it’s not that we cry out, it’s the attitude behind asking God to come to our rescue. Either we trust Him to get all the way to Him, as in Peter’s case. And He does want us to get to Him, that’s not a joke. Or we doubt Him and sink. In the case of Jesus already being in the boat, what do we have to fear? He is with us, and if He is with us nothing, not even the forces of nature can truly harm us.
On a final note, it was Jesus’ idea to cross to the other side of the lake. It was His idea that caused the disciples to get into a boat that would soon be ravaged by a deadly storm. He MADE them. So if you are in a season, being buffeted and tossed, and you are afraid that Jesus is sleeping and He’s not concerned with your cries for help. . .you could not be more wrong. If you are in HIS boat, trust in Him. That’s the question when we are struggling is it not? Does God even still hear me? Does He see me? Does my life matter? Jesus loved the disciples and yet He led them into storms and trials, and they were the chosen “inner” group.
Being chosen means that you will have trials, but take heart He has overcome sea and wind, loneliness and fear, death and doubt. He has conquered that which causes you to fear. So ride out the storm and trust that He is God.
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