Suppose Ed, an avid and competent golfer, realized that almost every time he went golfing, suddenly a violent hailstorm would erupt, drenching both him and his equipment. Do you think this would upset him? Do you think it might get him wondering why God seemed to be “picking on” him?
Have you noticed that every time Peter and the others got into the boat and headed across the Sea of Galilee, a violent storm erupted? We would think that, being followers of Jesus and future apostles of the Church, God would provide a calm sea with pleasant weather. Why would God keep arousing storms with them?
These questions come to mind as we read our gospel passage today (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 the waves; but he was asleep.”
Even Jesus’ presence in the boat did not deter the storm. And notice, this was no ordinary storm, it was a violent one that swamped the boat, almost sinking it. How in the work, we wonder, could Jesus snore away during such a crisis?
“They came and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
These men were familiar with the Sea of Galilee and were competent boaters. They had handled storms before. But this time! It was something they’d never faced before.
“He said to them, ‘Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?’”
What a question! Who wouldn’t be terrified as they anticipated a sudden death by drowning?
“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?’”
Jesus has power even over the weather. These disciples saw him heal the sick and command demons to leave people. Why were they surprised that he was also Lord of the weather? Jesus could speak to the storm, and quiet it, the way a dog-owner speaks a word of command to a barking dog, and the dog settles down.
We may not be avid golfers who have to deal with inclement weather or fishermen whose boats are sinking, but we are followers of Jesus. Why are we surprised when sudden violent storms come into our lives? Why are we surprised that God allows us to face problems that are much greater than we can handle?
Writer, Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B., raises the practical question, “What is the wind and sea in your life that you feel is about to take you under?” (Word Among Us, June, 2022 edition). She continues, “Have you ever felt as though Jesus were asleep in your boat? Have you dared to wake him?”
Why did Peter and the others need a life-threatening storm in their lives? Had they begun to be complacent and maybe fall back into old conversations, like complaints about the economy, or local civic leaders, or even their wives? Did they need a storm to stop them in their tracks and upset them?
What if they had turned to Jesus as soon as they saw the storm beginning to brew? Would he have calmed them with his peace so they could endure the violence of the storm?
Storms inside us are the ones that we most need to deal with. Let us get into the habit of taking even the tiny storms to Jesus and not wait until we are desperate before calling to him for help.
