“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Matthew 8:23-27

Why are you afraid?

The waves buffeted the small fishing boat as it was tossed about in the sea. Rain came down in sheets as a fierce wind ripped at the clothing of the fishermen. These seasoned sailors had been through many a squall and survived to tell the tale, but this was different. The storm was fiercer than any they had known and amidst the cacophony of storm and the cries of the terrified men lay their leader sleeping restfully …

Just imagine you were there … the taste of saltwater as waves crash over the bow. Imagine stumbling to the deck as the boat is tossed to and fro. Think of the wild howl of the wind, the pounding of an unrelenting rain, and the shouts of men who believe their lives will be snatched from them this very hour. Would you have woken Jesus up?

There is no doubt that I would have been there right alongside the disciples saying “save us Lord”. Now picture Jesus, blinking his eyes and taking a deep breath as his body tries to drag itself out of the clutches of sleep. Think of Him saying with a sigh of exhaustion and frustration, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” … Why am I afraid? Well I don’t know Jesus, have you happened to look around. If you didn’t notice we are not in Kansas anymore. The storm is here, the boat is being tossed like a ragdoll in the hands of an angry toddler, and we are all pretty sure we are going to die. But sure, let’s just sit down and pretend we are enjoying our afternoon tea in the parlor. Why do you think we are afraid?!

Then Jesus stands, rebukes the winds and the sea, and everything is instantly calm. The chaos of just moments before has completely dissipated into an eerie silence leaving the disciples in awe. Now it doesn’t say so in the Bible, but I get the feeling that Jesus, in His exhaustion, laid back down and went back to sleep leaving the disciples speechless. One thing I know, He wasn’t afraid.

The storms of this life that we face often leave us crying out in fear for Jesus to save us. We look at our lives and say to God, “do you see what is going on in my life? Don’t you know that I cannot survive this? It is too much for me Lord, save me”. When we cry out in this way we often forget that it is the same God who calmed the sea that later died on the cross for our sins. With a word he could calm the storm of your life. With a word he could take away your pain. With a word he could end the storm.

With a word He also could have taken Himself off of the cross, could have prevented the betrayal by Judas, could have kept Peter from denying Him, could have saved Himself from hunger, thirst, and any other suffering. He endured all this for the glory of His Father and the salvation of all who follow Him. Know that God is in control of the storm in your life. Do not be afraid, He is working right now to redeem the trials. And one day, He will calm the storm.