One of my favourite memories from our time in Israel is the boat ride on the Lake of Galilee. To be afloat on this ancient water, so often mentioned in the pages of the New Testament, gazing around at such places as Cana, Capernaum, and the Mount of Beatitudes, and in the company of wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ, was truly special. (Not so much the jet skis and loud pop music that followed at the shore!)
In addition, we had the wonderful insight we received from Andre concerning where we were and what was around us, the live demonstration of the fishing net in action, and the Jewish dancing that broke out on deck (and yes, I did participate!)
BUT, most of all, I will always treasure the discussion we had about the time Jesus was asleep in the boat.
So often, this story (found, for example, in Matthew 8:23-27) is used to teach that Jesus has power to calm the storms in our lives. And, of course, he does! But that day, as we chatted together, we remembered that this is not actually its real point. The primary lesson of the story is neither that Jesus has authority over the wind and wave of nature, nor that he has power to calm the storms that rage in our lives. It is that when Jesus is with us, whatever is going on, whatever the force or the howl of the gale we are engulfed by, we can always, wholly, and entirely, trust ourselves to his mighty and loving care.
The disciples are not rebuked for waking up Jesus in a panic. They are rebuked for thinking they needed to wake him at all.
