I find sometimes that I can read about some miracle that Jesus did, and not fully appreciate the unbelievable thing I’ve just read. The story about Jesus calming the storm can be like that. Maybe because it’s familiar. Maybe because it’s a short story with not a lot of details. Maybe because calming a storm doesn’t seem too exciting. Well, here’s the story and a few things to think about.
The day that Jesus calmed the storm, He had spent a big part of His day up on a mountainside near Capernaum teaching His disciples what is now called the Sermon on the Mount (it’s kind of a long sermon, and you can read it in Matthew 5-7). After He finished teaching, Jesus came down from the mountain, healed a leper, healed a paralyzed servant, healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and then spent the entire evening at Peter’s house healing all kinds of sick and demon-possessed people (Matthew 8:1-17). A busy and exhausting day, don’t you think?
People were still crammed all around Him, but Jesus must have decided it was time for some peace and quiet because He told His disciples they were leaving to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. So, everyone got in the boat, and they headed off across the lake. Well, a terrible storm arose. This was no ordinary storm. It was like an earthquake in the middle of the lake—the wind whipped the waves up so high that when the boat was in the trough between the waves, the waves towered over the boat, hiding it from sight. They were getting swamped! The disciples were terrified! Now don’t forget, at least four of these disciples were seasoned fishermen. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had all left their fishing operations to follow Jesus. This storm was so violent, it even petrified fishermen used to rough, choppy waters. And where was Jesus? Sound asleep, exhausted from His long day.
Now, remember what had gone on that day. How many miracles had they seen? Countless. Healing after healing. In that day alone, Jesus had demonstrated incredible supernatural power. They disciples had seen it with their own eyes. Still, in the heat of the moment, in the middle of a life-threatening, terrifyingly intense situation, they woke up Jesus and cried out, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing” (Matthew 8:25). They thought they were going to drown. And Jesus asked them, “Why are you afraid?” Then He calmed the storm. Just like that. Calm. Quiet. It was not a gradual thing. It was instant and complete. The storm ceased; all was peaceful. Immediately. Another miracle.
Here’s what I love about this story.
We get to see Jesus being fully human in His total exhaustion from a draining day and yet fully God in His power over nature. He made creation and everything in it, and it’s all subject to His command. Jesus is fully man and fully God.
I think it’s so easy to see us in this story—like the disciples…scared, overwhelmed, feeling alone. But when you trust in Jesus, there’s no reason to feel that way. Jesus is always in control, and though He slept as a human while on earth, He is seated at the right hand of God, and He never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4). And,
Jesus shows us that we can trust Him in all situations, no matter what storms life brings. Fully trust Him.
I pray you’ll fully trust Him today. Let me know if I can pray for you or if you need a Bible.
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