“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”
Matthew 8:23-26
Sometimes I would prefer to be the one sleeping in the boat and let Jesus handle all the storms in my life, but He wants us to exercise our faith, which might be the whole reason that Jesus slept during that storm. He fully equipped his disciples with all that they needed to handle the storm.
Right before the incident of the boat in the storm happened, Jesus met and praised a Roman centurion for his great faith. He was so pleased with the Centurion, who trusted Him to heal his paralyzed servant without coming to his house, just by saying the word. The Centurion was in the midst of his own personal storm, but he had faith in the presence of Jesus and spoke words of faith to Him, and his miracle happened. It was this example and message of faith, that led to what happened next.
Right after meeting that Centurion, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat together, where He fell sound asleep, just in time for a violent storm to shake up the boat. The whole scene sounds like a set up to me.
I don’t think Jesus just happened to fall asleep while the storm just happened to rise up. Jesus wanted His disciples to use what he had been teaching them about great faith, and He equipped them to face the storm. He hoped they had learned from the Centurion to stand and speak in faith, knowing that Jesus was right there, with them on the boat.
He wanted them to have faith in His presence, even if He was asleep. Instead, they cried out that they were going to drown, and failed a test of faith.
When something happens in our life that frightens us or stops us in our tracks, we probably need to remind ourselves that we are not alone. Jesus is in the boat with us, and He equipped us to face every storm in our lives. He knows we can handle the storm and He is with us even when He appears to be asleep.
He wants us to stand on our faith and ask in His name. Trusting in His presence and speaking to the storm in His name brings us through our test of faith.
The Centurion believed in the presence and the word of Jesus, before He even went to the cross.
We have His presence, His word, and the power of His blood. How much more can we do by faith in His shed blood, which has won the victory over any evil that comes against us?
Scripture says that we (all believers)
have conquered the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.
(Revelation 12:11)
Different scripture versions state this verse using the words “triumphed, overcame, or conquered,” but every version uses the past tense of the word, because the victory has already been won at the cross.
Maybe Jesus wanted the disciples to withstand the test of faith, by praying against the storm, knowing that just having Him in their boat was enough. He wanted them to believe in the power of His presence, just as that Centurion did. He was so proud of the Centurion’s words of faith, and He wants His church to live with that same kind of faith and trust.
We can trust His presence is with us through all of our storms, whether it feels like He is asleep or not. Jesus has equipped us with all we need to speak to our storms in His name, since He made us more than conquerors through His blood and the word of our testimony.
I can just imagine Jesus in that boat, hoping to wake up and see that the disciples stood their test of faith, trusting in His presence and united in prayer together, speaking against the storm. He would rather praise people for their great faith than call them men of little faith.
In all of our tests and trials, Jesus wants to reward our faith and say to His church,
“Well done, your faith in Me is great!”
Lord, help us to please you by growing in the faith you have equipped us with, as we trust in your presence and your word, strengthen us to speak to and overcome every storm we face. Amen