***
Gospel: Matthew 8: 23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
This is the only moment in the Gospels where Jesus is found sleeping.
Surely, he slept most nights. He lived long days. He was human. Naturally, he’d go to sleep at dusk and rise at dawn like any one of us.
So, why would Matthew insist on telling us that Jesus fell asleep on that night, as opposed to any other night?
Because he fell asleep in the middle of a storm – and not just any storm, but one so strong it terrified the disciples! Keep in mind, these men were professional fishermen. They were used to choppy waters… just not a storm this size.
Imagine them staggering like drunkards, struggling to find their balance on the boat… meanwhile, Jesus is asleep on a cushion.
***
These are risky questions, but we must ask them:
What if Jesus fell asleep knowing that storm was coming?
What if the disciples were right where God wanted them to be – stumbling in the darkness, holding on for dear life?
What if this was all a test?
***
Can’t we easily extend this imagery of drowning to our own world today – a world with mass shootings, cancer, mental illness, isolation, grinding jobs, and so on?
We know what it feels like to be one of the disciples. We know what it feels like to have a sinking feeling in our stomach, wondering if we’re going to drown.
And while our prayers can – and do – awaken a sleeping Jesus, perhaps the deeper invitation in today’s Gospel is to sit with that image of the disciples drifting in the storm… trying to find comfort – not in awakening the Lord – but simply knowing that he is there.
***
“Be still and know that I am God,” the Psalmist says. In time, every storm will pass. Until then, know that you shall not drown; asleep or not, God is with you.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Bernard Allen, Twitter (2) The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt (3) Reform Magazine