Meeting God in the midst of a Storm
I don’t meet many people who are opposed to the things that Jesus taught - value others above yourselves, aways act with honesty, integrity and compassion, treat others in the same way that you would have them treat you, seek to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence… Most agree that acting like this would make the world a better place.
But at the same time, people seem to be afraid of Jesus. Perhaps we’re concerned about the changes these things would require us to make in our own lives. Perhaps we’re afraid of becoming “religious.” Interestingly, the people Jesus had the most confrontations with were “religious,” because they were the ones who placed their particular way doing things above doing right in the eyes of God. Jesus challenged them to get over themselves.
I’ve been preparing a talk on a bible passage where a group of Jesus’ close friends were in a boat on a lake, kilometres from shore, late at night, in a storm, rowing for all they were worth. All of a sudden, a figure appeared out of the darkness, coming towards them. They were terrified. “It must be a ghost,” they thought. But as the figure drew near, it spoke, saying “‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take him into the boat” (John 6:20). These people were well disposed towards Jesus, they were his friends, but they were also terrified by him. It was only as he spoke to them, and they knew him, that their racing hearts slowed and their fears dissipated. Then they could invite him into the boat with them to guide them safely to the shore. The answer to our fears about Jesus is to hear his voice.
This story reinforces to me that the world doesn’t have the last word, no matter how threatening and overwhelming its storms might seem. Jesus still comes to us across the water. If we open our eyes, we will see him. Jesus still speaks to calm our fears. If we listen, we will hear him. We are not alone. Jesus is present in any and every circumstance and he has power and authority over any and every situation. Only when he is in the boat with us, with a renewed experience of his presence, can we begin to move forward to the future he has planned for us.
Neil Percival
www.ydam.com.au
But at the same time, people seem to be afraid of Jesus. Perhaps we’re concerned about the changes these things would require us to make in our own lives. Perhaps we’re afraid of becoming “religious.” Interestingly, the people Jesus had the most confrontations with were “religious,” because they were the ones who placed their particular way doing things above doing right in the eyes of God. Jesus challenged them to get over themselves.
I’ve been preparing a talk on a bible passage where a group of Jesus’ close friends were in a boat on a lake, kilometres from shore, late at night, in a storm, rowing for all they were worth. All of a sudden, a figure appeared out of the darkness, coming towards them. They were terrified. “It must be a ghost,” they thought. But as the figure drew near, it spoke, saying “‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take him into the boat” (John 6:20). These people were well disposed towards Jesus, they were his friends, but they were also terrified by him. It was only as he spoke to them, and they knew him, that their racing hearts slowed and their fears dissipated. Then they could invite him into the boat with them to guide them safely to the shore. The answer to our fears about Jesus is to hear his voice.
This story reinforces to me that the world doesn’t have the last word, no matter how threatening and overwhelming its storms might seem. Jesus still comes to us across the water. If we open our eyes, we will see him. Jesus still speaks to calm our fears. If we listen, we will hear him. We are not alone. Jesus is present in any and every circumstance and he has power and authority over any and every situation. Only when he is in the boat with us, with a renewed experience of his presence, can we begin to move forward to the future he has planned for us.
Neil Percival
www.ydam.com.au