… then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. Mathew 8:26

The summer season is rapidly changing. Nightly temperatures are dropping into the forties and even frigid thirties. While they still look lovely, my flower and veggie gardens are slowing down. The hillsides are bone dry, tinged with early fall colors. A few  hummingbirds still feed from the red geraniums and  purple petunias. And of course, the deer forage everywhere, being especially partial to Dan’s babied tomato plants.

I’m not looking forward to colder weather, but truthfully summer’s not been one where “ the living is easy” in our country. I can’t bear to watch the news or listen to the talking heads – most of  whom dispense  political and cultural gloom and doom like free samples of toxic food. Despite the still beautiful  weather outside,  who has lately not felt the storms of strife and feel the winds of fear  trying to defeat us. Whether it is the ongoing pandemic or the upcoming presidential election or our personal adjustment to the so-called new normal, the air we breathe is charged, crackling with energy more powerful than lightning.  A violent storm is at hand.

Matthew 8 describes an unusually tempestuous storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had spent the day ministering, healing and teaching the multitude and afterwards got into a boat with the disciples. He fell asleep, probably because He was exhausted. A storm arose, threatening to capsize the boat. It was not an ordinary storm, had contrary winds and huge waves which flooded what must have been a sizeable fishing boat. The men were experienced fishermen who surely had braved many storms, but this time they  freaked out and came to Jesus, crying out for Him to do something. “Lord, save us. We’re perishing!”  Jesus arose , rebuked them first for their lack of faith and then quieted the storm  “so that there was a great  calm”.  What an amazing story! Who is this man  whom the wind and sea obey?

Mark’s Gospel  includes a few details which Matthew does not. I found that curious  because  Mark usually wrote in a terser, less descriptive style. He adds that other little boats were alongside, that the waves beat into the boat and that Jesus was asleep in the stern on a pillow.  This small overlooked detail shows Christ doing what we all do – sleeping, trying to rest His weary head on a pillow.  It’s a touching reminder of Jesus’ humanity, that in all things He was just like us, especially exhaustion.

  I wonder what Jesus’ pillow was like?  Most likely it was  a rolled up oily tarp, stinking  of fish and stiff with salty sea water. Perhaps he folded up His own rough robe  against the boat’s gunwales. It definitely was nothing like my two soft, down filled pillows or Dan’s specially contoured ones designed for support.  We all know the ads for My Pillow and the guy who made them famous – and himself a multi millionaire in the process.  He guarantees his unique pillow (and mattress and sheets) inventions will give us  deep, restful  and restorative sleep. His pillow was definitely not Jesus’! More importantly, his promise for better sleep is not the promise of rest we need.

Mark adds that the disciples not only awoke Jesus in terror, but asked,  “Teacher, do you not care that we’re perishing?”  Oh, we of similar little faith. How often  have we felt the same, that God doesn’t see us in our storms and afflictions, in the waters threatening to wash us overboard  into the violent sea? Like terrified children we lose faith in Jesus because the bogey man is keening  like a contrary wind at the window.  We forget that Jesus  asleep on a pillow is always doing the Father’s will, knows the dangers around us and is our  perfect storm shelter.   

In another storm account, Peter  falls into the waves when he takes his eyes off the Lord and looks into the violent waves.  When storms rage , do we identify with Peter?  We want to keep  focused on  Jesus’ face,  but too often see the whitecaps below and we panic.   Mark 6 is a good reminder that in a tempest when Jesus is at rest in a flooding boat, He invites you and me to come closer, to rest our heads   next to His.  His Voice commands  every storm at sea or on the land:

…they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed . Psalm 107:28-29.

Peace. Be still!