Patching Cracks
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Jesus, Matthew tells a story in which Jesus and the 12 disciples are in a fishing boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, which is known for sudden and violent storms. Halfway across the inland sea, one of those storms set in and threatened to capsize the boat. The disciples were terrified, while Jesus just slept in the stern. Finally, they woke him up and asked: “Teacher, do you care if we drown?” Jesus got up and commanded the storm to stop, then asked his disciples if they had any faith at all. The story is interesting for a few reasons. First, it showed Jesus to have command over the weather, which was considered to be authority reserved for God alone. This served as a hint for ancient readers that Jesus was more than just another guy. The second interesting idea in the story is that the disciples could’ve trusted God in the storm. Jesus was in the boat with them and they’d already seen all sorts of evidence that he was chosen by God and very special. But, they didn’t trust that God would take care of them. I can’t really blame them. Dangerous circumstances that are happening around us right now are hard to ignore. However, they should’ve known that Jesus was there and would take care of them. I don’t think that means we should sit in a sinking ship and not try to save ourselves or anything of the sort. I think it is pointing to the reality that humans have a tendency to assume that God is abandoning them or not think about Him at all when life gets tough. Worry is easy. Panic is easy. Faith is not so easy. Faith is trusting that God will take care of us and that he is watching over our circumstances. This doesn’t mean that he will always make things easy. Rather, it is trusting that God is in control. He can deliver us and is watching out for us. Beyond that, it is trusting that if things go badly, he can work through terrible circumstances. There is a passage in Romans where Paul wrote “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This has sometimes been twisted to mean “Everything happens for a reason.” That isn’t what it means. It is saying that regardless of the circumstance, God can work good in our lives if we love and follow him. Difficulty can make us strong. Tragedy can help us to know him better. Lean times can help us learn to be content with less. I can see in my own life where God used some of my biggest mess-ups to help me grow as a believer. The idea is that in difficult situations we can lean on him and trust that he has it in hand. He can and will do great things if we follow him. We’re never promised a walk in the park or an easy life. Rather, we are promised that God is in control.
