In the Boat

Even the wind and waves obey him. Matthew 8:27
 
Jesus fell asleep on a boat with his faithful disciples when a storm blew in. His disciples accused Jesus of not caring if they drowned and he questioned them about their faith. Then he spoke and the storm was calmed. It is a familiar story, but, like all scripture is multilayered. Jesus spoke and like during the creation of the world, nature itself responded when the Trinity told it to. Another way to engage the text is to recall the shared experiences of Jesus and these disciples. They had already seen him heal, walk on water, and bring someone back from death, so why are they shocked that even the wind and waves obey him? Surely, if he can heal a human body, he can calm a storm, right? The disciples lived in a time where nature was deified. In this one short scripture passage Jesus showed himself yet again as present at the creation of the world and sets himself up as more powerful than the false gods like Leviathan, king of the sea. Where do we, like the disciples, know that God can do big miracles, but our faith fails us in the little things? Jesus is “in the boat” with us through all of life’s storms, why should we be afraid? How is Jesus protecting, healing, and bringing us back from death?
 
In Christ, 
Rev. Elyse Milligan Nielsen