Loved! It’s why he could sleep.

Asleep? How so?

The state of being asleep is the refreshing quiet, tranquility and calm of the body and mind being at rest. A storm, on the other hand, is an outbreak of thunder and lightning accompanied by strong winds. The two are opposites. One is quiet, the other is a violent and loud disturbance, so when I read that Jesus was asleep in a storm, actually sleep on the small fishing boat, that is being violently tossed and turned, waves crashing over it, and where above the thunder is booming and the lightning cracking, and the disciples are crazy with fear, shouting at one another to do this or that to try and keep the boat afloat so that they don’t go down and drown, I’m like What? How could He be asleep? How is that possible? The external scenario is loud, frightening and absent of any conditions that might induce restful sleep. 

Yet He is asleep! Here’s the story –

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27 

So, in trying to make sense of this, what legitimate reasons could there be as to why Jesus could sleep? Was it that He was in that state of utter exhaustion, where nothing or nobody could keep Him awake? Had He taken a heavy dose of sedatives (something we might do!)?

Or…was there some other reason? 

We know the argument that Jesus was God, so perhaps He tapped into some kind of divine rest, but we can also argue that He was also fully human. He became man in every sense of the word. He took on skin and flesh in order to identify fully with us John 1:14, experiencing all those things peculiar to humanity as He lived and walked on this planet as we do. He laid aside certain aspects of His divinity in order to fully embrace humanity. He got hungry like we get hungry. Tired like we get tired. Frustrated, hurt, upset like we do Hebrews 4:15.

But unlike us, Jesus’ in His humanity never left the oneness of the love of the Father and of the Holy Spirit. He dwelt among us, but in love. Love that is perfect. Love that was able to meet His every need. Love that was able to help Him live the life as humanity was intended – safe.  

So…

…when a storm, a furious, sudden, unexpected, waves-sweeping-over-the-boat storm came, Jesus could sleep. 

Other gospel accounts tell us that the storm was so fierce, that the boat was being swamped. No matter how much they tried to bail out the water, or right the sails, or secure the anchor, the disciples were fighting a losing battle. They were going to drown! They were fearful for their lives. Jesus was there in the same situation! It was the exact same storm He was facing, as fully man. He was in the same boat that was going to go down, that was being swamped with water, tossed and turned, yet where they were fearful, He was asleep!  It seemed like it didn’t matter whether He was to sink or to swim, because both sinking and swimming were in the hands of His Father’s goodness and purposes. Nothing could take Jesus out of His Father’s hand and therefore outside of the safety of His love. He was fully inside of love in the middle of a violent, furious storm, sleeping. 

In comparison, are the disciples. You of little faith, why are you so afraid? They were humanity as He was, yet living outside of the knowledge of love: frightened, afraid, insecure, unsafe, uncertain. The emotions and fears they experienced where of those who no longer find themselves experiencing being inside His love, whose minds and bodies and souls have been ruined by sin. And the result of sin and its ruin had blinded them to this love. They were still inside of love, always, but sin had darkened their eyes and minds to it. They were living their humanity unsafe, fearful, anxious, frightened, worrying, protecting themselves from storms, or at least trying to bring back some kind of control and order. 

Only perfect love can move us from fear – Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! – to rest. From the feelings that life is out of control, to the safety of trusting that God has got us, fully. The more we move into love, and the more we trust love, the more able we are to let fear go, and we gain the ability to question our fear, like Jesus did, why are you so afraid?  And love, as it comes to sit more readily in our hearts and minds, gives us the confidence and strength to get up and cry out as He did and rebuke our fear, then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves.  Jesus was able to speak to the storm, “I am safe. Whatever comes my way, I am inside of the safe love of God. This life might do its best to rock me and destroy me and disrupt my safety, but inside of God’s love, I am safe. Storm, you cannot have my safety, for I am fully embraced in love that has power over storms. Nothing can separate me from love. Nothing can move me outside of this safety of love. I am in Love and out of it I will not go”.

Earlier, before the storm hit we read, Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. This is interesting from the point of view that Jesus knew the disciples would follow Him. They were His disciples after all. Learning from Him, following His steps. Was it an invite into the storm? Did Jesus invite them into the storm for the purpose of learning to trust God, this place where every ounce of their ability to ensure safety and control was stripped away? The boat was being swamped. The disciples were fearful for their lives and none of their many years of controlling and sailing a boat in all sorts of weather could bring their boat back under control. They were drowning. Jesus knew this would happen. 

The invite to follow Jesus into the storm brings this revelation. They followed Him. They. Followed. Him. Clearly meaning, that Jesus was there, already there, and in the storm, with them. He didn’t leave them there. But there with them, He showed them that an intimate relationship with God, trusting in Him and His goodness, having an identity that is unshaken by the knowledge that He was completely loved, meant He could sleep in the storm because of the confidence that God had him! Whether He was to sink or swim. No matter what storm He was facing. Was this preparation for their future? The violent storms they would face? The persecution? The trials and hard times that they would know? 

Or, even just that this is the kind of life we can experience every day – loved, safe, confident, unshaken. What a ridiculous concept, but is it true or not?

And it was completely calm. The disciples ask an interesting question! What kind of man is this? A man, who has the power of a God. And an interesting statement! Even the winds and the waves obey him! 

But perhaps this is the wrong perspective. If in the storms, as the disciples did, we are constantly looking for the signs and wonders, like the calming of the winds and the waves, or we ask for our bodies healed, our finances sorted, our relationships at peace, our families safe, our jobs successful and fulfilling, I wonder if we miss what Jesus invited the disciples into the storm for? Perhaps they like we, miss the most important lesson of all -that Jesus was asleep in the storm! The question might better be asked and answered, what kind of man is this? A man who can sleep through the storm! Jesus invited His disciples to witness something very important, perhaps more important than the wind and the waves obeying Him. He invited them to witness that it is possible to sleep in the storm, to have the utmost confidence and trust in the Father, who He knew loved Him.

Years later, they along with Saint Paul could say things like, 

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 8:31-39.

Signs and wonders would be great. There are things in my life where a miracle is needed, but what I need more, is to feel safety, peace, confidence, rest even, in the everyday storms that I face – the heart-breaking, spirit-crushing, disappointments and brokenness that are my life. To be able to lie down every night and not have those anxious, insecure, troubling thoughts from my day and my circumstances keeping me awake.

How do I move from Lord save us, we are going to drown, to asleep in the boat? – 

Do I really believe God loves me?

Do I really believe He is with me always?

Do I really believe He is good?

Is God, my Father, the same as Jesus’ Father? 

And if the answer is yes to all these,

How can I sleep in the storm like He did? 

I have a growing confidence in the love of God for me and all that means, and it is certainly changing the way I think, feel, react and do life. I’m not there yet, but I’m not where I was.

I’ll let you know when I am…but I’m pretty sure the answer has to do with, I am loved!

 

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