No telling how many times in my life I have read the 8th chapter of Luke. As I was reading it this morning, the events and parables are so very familiar, so, no doubt, I've read it countless times. However, the number of times I've really READ it, doesn't climb as high! Today, I tried to really READ it, and, again, another WOW! (I think WOW has become my new favorite word - it's so expressive of the inexpressible!) I could spend days writing about the various pieces of that chapter that are powerful, but for now, I want to concentrate on verses 22-25.
At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus and his disciples (and some faithful women, by-the-way), began taking His ministry from city to city and village to village. One day they got into a boat to travel from the west side of the Sea of Galilee to the east side. Jesus must have been physically exhausted from all that He had been doing - healing, teaching, casting out demons, dealing with religious and political leaders - and He fell asleep in the boat. I love it! We are reminded of His humanness! As a youngster, I spent a lot of time in a boat with my dad, either fishing or dragging my brother or sister behind the boat on skis. A small-ish boat is not an easy place to take a nap! And Jesus was with several people who were rowing and probably yakking as they rowed. I'm just saying...He had to be really pooped to fall asleep.
Anyway, while Jesus was napping, the wind got up to the point where the waves were beginning to swamp the boat - and He still slept...The disciples were frightened for their lives, rightfully so. They woke up Jesus, and in their fear, shouted, "...we are perishing!" The disciples were in panic-mode! In my mind's eye, I can see Jesus rousing from His slumber, rubbing His eyes and looking at the boys and out toward the the water - not in any hurry or fear. He then stood up in the boat and rebuked the wind and the gigantic waves, and there was immediate calm. Yep, another WOW! Now remember, this is the same part of the "Us" that separated the waters from the waters and the waters from the land and heaven on day two of Creation. Yes, indeedee, He had to power to speak the water into existence and to calm winds and waves. A miraculous display of omnipotent power! But that's not all...
Jesus looked deep into the eyes of his disciples and said, "Where is your faith?" To me, that means, "Don't panic; I AM right here with you in the middle of this storm!" You see, we can't avoid the storms of life no matter how hard we try or how smart we think we are. Yes, some storms are of our own making, and we do have some control over those, depending on choices we make. We wouldn't be so foolish as to go boating when we know a storm is approaching! So we should always "check the weather" before making a bad decision. However, other storms - not of our own making - will come our way. Some may be due to the choices of others and some just from the circumstances of life, but they will come.
The reaction of the disciples serves as a lesson in what not to do, and that's to not let fear and anxiety grip us so tightly, that we begin to flounder. One of the most powerful things about this story is that Jesus was right there with them in the boat! He was with them in the storm! They were not alone! We must hold tight to the truth that one who walks with Jesus - as the disciples did - is never alone. He lives in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Where we go, He goes. He wasn't standing way far off on the shore unaware of the trouble the boys were in. No, He was in the same boat. So, we are never alone in our crises.
It's not just that Jesus is with us in the storm. It's what He will do if we call on Him. That is His affect. Affect is a verb, meaning it is an action word. According to Merriam Webster (BTW - another mush-have is a good dictionary), affect means "to produce an effect on or to influence." Jesus' affect when He stood up and spoke was to influence the guys to calm down. I take comfort knowing that in the middle of a life-threatening crisis, Jesus induces calm! He will calm me when me when I feel like I'm about to be overwhelmed by that which I have no control over. My friends, that is peace! Philippians 4:7 says, "...the peace of God surpasses all understanding." Those boys couldn't begin to understand how Jesus calmed the winds and waves. They didn't have to know! They just got to experience - His affect - His peace.
Jesus can also have an effect if we call on Him. Effect is a noun, a person, place, or thing, defined as a result or consequence. The result of Jesus' action was to stop the storm, literally. With His omnipotent power, He changed the circumstances of the storm. In this case, he stopped it all together. When they were overwhelmed, they called on Him to act, and He did. Now listen, He may not always choose to end your storm immediately. I recall that Paul was in the middle of a hurricane at sea and ended up shipwrecked; however, the effect was a more powerful testimony and ministry for the Lord. But even when Paul finally made it to shore, he knew he was not alone. Jesus (via the Holy Spirit) had been in the same boat with him. When we call on Jesus, there will be an effect - a result - and it will be good. Paul was wrecked but not dead!
Soak in the familiar words of Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and called according to His purpose." That sums up both the affect and effect of the Lord Jesus in our lives!
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