Jesus has a way of remaining consistent even under the most chaotic of circumstances. In the eighth chapter of Luke, we have a small, but mighty, account of the Lord calming a storm on the sea. Previously to the storm, Jesus instructed His disciples to go across to the other side of the lake. They began their trip but shortly after, the followers watched as water poured into the boat with mighty gusts of wind.

The disciples acted on their fear and hurriedly woke the Lord up. Jesus proceeded to get up, rebuke the sea, and enter into a brief dialogue with his company on the boat. Within a few words, the Son of Man had pointed out the main fault in the actions of the sailers. “Where is your faith?”

It is true that the disciples were in danger. Luke affirms the reality of danger in 8:23. However, before that, it is also true that Jesus told His disciples to travel to the other side of the lake. Waves, gusts of wind, and faithless worry were not going debilitate the original plans of Jesus. Unfortunately, the storm of fear was mightier than the calm of faith for these disciples.

There are several truths to be glean from such a brief account of Jesus in His disciples. Here are a few to consider:

1. Jesus Leads to the Shore (Luke 8:22) – The Lord gave the destination, the disciples had a problem with the journey. Faith doesn’t back down at the sight of danger.
2. Danger is a Reality (Luke 8:23) – This account does not try to downplay the reality of danger. However, the disciples definitely downplayed the might of God and the power of faith. Faith can overcome surrounding variables.
3. Jesus is a Constant in Times of Chaos (Luke 8:24) – Notice the disposition of Jesus; He was sleeping in the storm. What felt like the end of the world to the disciples, was merely just brief experience for Jesus.

As I drove through town today, I noticed the roads were empty, grocery store parking lots were occupied with cars, and the news was loud with worry. I also noticed a beautiful blue sky, birds singing, clouds carelessly wafting, and the mountains standing proud. While mankind remained frantic, nature harmonized with peace. It goes to show that there are constants even among chaos. Jesus can be that rock that He describes in Matthew 7:25:

“and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

Tyler King