I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although my family weren’t sailors, there were always sailboats on the Bay. On a clear day, we could stand at the Golden Gate Bridge or along the shores of the city and watch how quickly the wind would sweep the sailboats around the choppy waters. It always looked so peaceful from the shore.

But once in a while we would be invited to sail with friends. At first, the going was quite peaceful. Moving through the tentacle-like canals was slow going. But as soon as we entered the open water, the ride was quite different. The wind would slam into the sails, nearly knocking the boat over. We would hold on with all our might as the tiny boat was dragged across the waves, bouncing up and down violently. By the time the journey was over, we were soaked with salt water, and exhausted from the trip. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.

After those experiences, it is easy to see why the disciples were terrified on the stormy, choppy waters. There is an illusion of control, but anyone who’s spent time on the water knows that the elements could overtake us in an instant in just the right conditions. It’s no wonder the disciples turned to their master for guidance. For Jesus, a reprimand was all it took to calm the waves. It’s easy for Jesus to wonder, “where is your faith?” He knew what he was capable of. But the disciples were still learning. They had never experienced a person calm a storm before. Truly, it wasn’t a lack of faith that allowed them to fear. It was a lack of experience with this new master. Jesus needed to open their eyes to a completely new way of seeing the world before they could see, accept, and believe. Fortunately, Jesus was a patient master, and they would get it one day.

Text:

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

Text:

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”