Miracle - Jesus Stills the Sea

 Jesus was with fishermen who would have known the sea well. Therefore the storm must have been unexpected and extreme. The sailors thought it was life-threatening.

However, Jesus slept through it and appeared to question their faith when they woke him. What can we learn about faith from this story?

What did Jesus expect them to do? Leave him to sleep? Did he expect them to command the storm to cease? Or to realise that with Jesus in the boat with them there was nothing to fear, even if he was asleep. If we try to deal with the storms of life in our own strength we can become self-oriented and attempt a resolution by self-effort. Faith is about recognising that Jesus is in the boat with us and that we can trust him to see us through the storm.

Other bible examples of storms result in rescues instead of calming the sea. Jonah is an Old Testament example. In the New Testament Paul encountered a storm at sea where there was a miraculous outcome. Paul initially demonstrated common-sense that was ignored and subsequently prophesied in the storm that everyone would be safe. They all got safely to land.

Using another analogy, when the storm comes we need to have built our house on a solid foundation.

In the bible the sea is associated with chaos, the deep, an unfathomable and bottomless abyss. It was the place where life-threatening storms occurred. In the creation song in Genesis, the land was the place of order where Adam lived in Eden. However, there was still a command to rule over the sea as well as the land.

The scientific analysis of our universe finds both order and chaos. The universe is generally moving apart but within it there is gravity bringing order. There is some unpredictability such as a long-term weather forecast, but alternatively we know the exact time when day will break into the future.

We try to relate this to ourselves. Can we predict our own future, or is it chaotic? Why do things happen to some people and not others?

Many people look to the stars for answers or believe that God has pre-destined the future. This is the same as fate. Believing in this pre-destination or fate takes away any personal responsibility. It is stating that life is an illusion, where we play out already determined actions.

What does Jesus say? He says that God's sun shines on both the righteous and the unrighteous. There is no difference.

Job was an example of someone who had a good life that turned into chaos. The bible explains that for Job, God allowed the devil to create the chaos in his life, but within limits. Job didn't blame God for the chaos. His 'friends' told him that God must be punishing him because of his sin, stating that he was a worm. However, Job knew this was nonsense and it was that he lived in a chaotic world but one which God had overall control. He uses the sea and sea monster 'Rahab' as an illustration of the chaos. This is an echo of Jesus stilling the storm. Job knew he lived in a chaotic world with storms and turmoil but he still put his faith in the God who could quiet the sea with his power. When God answers Job he makes clear that there are boundaries on the sea, on chaos and storms.

Rahab, also called the leviathan or the sea monster means pride, arrogance. Within creation we have a rebellion led by the devil and other angelic beings that are intent on bringing chaos to our lives, whereas God wants us to rule and overcome in life. God does not remove us from the storms and chaos but gets in the boat to help us overcome them.

Isaiah prophesies about a day when the leviathan will be destroyed. He compares this to the day Israel crossed the Red Sea. The control of the sea by its parting for Moses and the Israelites is significant. Daniel has visions of chaotic beasts coming from the sea but then the coming of the Son of Man to rule. Jesus through his life, death and resurrection overcame the chaos that the devil can inflict. This was the start of the end.

The cartoons in Revelation use the pictures of the sea and sea monsters to illustrate the attempts of the devil to inflict chaos and destruction, and this is ultimately defeated. The removal of chaos is depicted as there being no sea.

The sea depicts the chaos, the turmoil, the uncontrollable events that are part of life. There is a wildness to creation that reflects the turmoil caused by the rebellion of the devil against God. However, God wants us to overcome by faith in Jesus being with us through these experiences. This overcoming contributes to the final removal of chaos from creation.

In the midst of chaos, like Job, we can be at peace and rest, knowing that Jesus is in the boat with us to calm any storm.