“Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus’ hometown.” (Matthew 9:1 MSG)
Sometimes, after a brutal storm, Jesus asks us to climb back in the boat to cross the sea with Him again. I wonder if this boat-boarding was hard for His disciples? Did they have trepidation? Were they scarred by the last storm they experienced at sea?
I was in a very scary car accident during my senior year of high school. I was headed down the highway to work when the rain turned to sleet. In my inexperience, I slid off the pavement, over a culvert and into an empty field. I took my first (and only) ambulance ride that afternoon and suffered a pretty good stun in my back. It was weeks before I was ready to drive again. I required convincing. My dad wouldn’t back down:
“Anna, you’re going to need to drive again. Driving is essential in life. You are made of stronger stuff than this.”
He handed me the keys and settled into the passengers seat. He’d probably still be there if I hadn’t faced my fear and driven that day; he was a very stubborn German man.
Jesus essentially did the same thing with His disciples. He was ready to cross the lake and they were probably dragging their feet, recalling both their fear and their lack of faith. Yet, they’d survived both; the terrible storm and the chastisement. They were better disciples because of their experience; more confident in Christ’s ability to sustain them.
Wouldn’t you say the same is true for us? When we survive a storm with our Savior, we are even more equipped for ministry, not less. Notice the disciples; they survived that storm and then witnessed an exorcism with the demoniac. A quick pass across the lake and they’ll watch Jesus heal a paraplegic.
We can’t let the storms of life sidetrack us from the call of ministry. Even if it’s been brutal. Even if a hurricane just came and sat over your life for weeks or years, it’s not a free pass on the great commission, it’s a further equipping. God takes us through the storms because we are weathered by them; made even more effective because our stories are believable, we have the scars to prove it.
The gospel goes on and our participation is essential. We can’t sit out because we are scared, there are souls at stake. No, we face our fears with the nearness of Jesus in mind and we get back to the task of making Him famous.
Lord, help us when we are scared. Give us the guts to face our fear and get back in the boat. We recognize that You have work to do through us. May we have a cooperative spirit as we overcome our past to participate in Your plans. Amen.