By Perry Cummings, Jnr
A boisterous storm threatened the lives of powerful men, who had ministerial duties to
perform on the other side of a seemingly dark and hopeless journey. It would seem as if
the waves of the sea were strangling every inch of the boat as it struggled to stay afloat.
To make matters worse, the boat was so old that with each evil wave, it would groan and
share with the passengers on board, the untold mysteries of the endless sea. With
malicious intent, the current of the waters tossed the aged boat from side to side,
destroying most of the goods and traveling items that should sustain the disciples, up to
the end of the voyage. By now, fear made itself present among the travelers and with
good reason: death was at the door and his agenda was certainly not to have a meet and
greet, nor to sip a cup of tea. As the lightning took pictures of fear, displayed like
artwork on the faces of the terrified human beings, the warnings were evident and the
signals clear – “Mother Nature” was upset!
However, during the chaos and the obvious day of judgment for those onboard, someone
heard a man snoring in the lower parts of the vessel.
The disciples’ fear quickly turned to annoyance and disbelief, as Jesus was found
sleeping on a pillow, his face reminiscent of that of a babe; a babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes and lying in a manger, awaiting the arrival of the three wise men and their
magnificent gifts to herald His birth.
His need for sleep is understandable, as there has been little time spent over the last few
days on rest or even to eat; so great has been the desire of the people to hear Him teach,
to cast out devils and to send demons fleeing. Although the disciples were fully aware of
the fact that He must be tired, their first thought was not concern for the Master. They
were frightened and facing certain death. “Doesn’t it even bother you that we are about to
drown?!” The question pierced Jesus when He heard it. After all, the only reason the Son
of God was sent to earth was so that mankind could be redeemed from sin, and have hope
of eternal life in Paradise. To even say that Jesus “cared” for the travelers onboard would
be an understatement.
He rose from the bed and went straight out on deck to find powerful men hugging each
other in fear. Men whom He had chosen to be His disciples; whom He had given
authority to cast out demons themselves (Mark 3:14-15), were terrified. Though they
could barely hear their screams for help, drowned as they were by the blasts of the
thunder; Jesus could hear them quite clearly, each voice He could distinctly detect.
The skies were dark, as dark as the blackness that existed before God said, “Let there be
light!” The storm growled even more fiercely, as it realized that it was facing a
formidable foe: for the son of God had risen. When the disciples saw that Jesus was on
deck, fearlessly staring into the eyes of death, their screams were silenced; and it was just
the voice of the storm that could be heard hurling profanities directly at the Saviour. Jesus
remained unmoved, listening for a while; then with a voice that was louder than the roars
of the sea, louder than the waves had ever heard, He commanded, “Peace! Be still!”
Suddenly, there was a great calm that swept right across the sea with a ripple effect. The
faces of the disciples showed expressions of awe and excitement. In the middle of the
night, the Son shone in strength, illuminating the darkness on the seas and in men’s
hearts. The voice of the storm and the fright of the Disciples disappeared. Now the
powerful men got up slowly, assessing the scene as they whispered amongst themselves,
“What manner of a man is this who calms the raging sea!”
“Jesus has won another battle!” The praises could be heard across the silent sea. Voices
echoed the miracle, while writers documented the spectacle. Now they knew for sure that
they were traveling with the “Lord of the seas.”
