“Suddenly a furious storm can upon the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up ad rebuked the winds and the waves and it was completely calm.” (Matthew 8:24-26 NIV)
We are afraid right now, aren’t we? The winds are high, the waves are sweeping, the storm of pandemic is blowing across the globe. Our twenty-four hour news cycle is shouting “Be afraid! Hoard! Hide!” Social media has made us all cynics; jokes and memes are a thin covering for the cold chill settling into our souls. Our way of life feels frail; dependent on stock market plunges and personal toilet paper supplies. The nation, perhaps the world, is near-paralyzed with little screens in hand.
Back to our disciples. Jesus was in the boat with them. All they needed to do was wake Him and have a conversation. They had forgotten who He was and they had lost sight of the power that He possessed. When they finally found the gumption to shake Him awake and ask about their situation, He changed it entirely.
We read ‘rebuke’ and it only adds to our reluctance to approach Jesus. Note though, Jesus didn’t chide them for waking Him, He called them out on their fear. Why did they wait until the situation was dire before they came to Him?
I feel like that’s where we are as a nation. We’ve allowed Jesus to fall asleep. We’ve forgotten Who we are with; the Christian principles this country was forged from, and now, full decades later, we’ve found ourselves deeply frightened by our circumstances in His perceived absence.
Adam Clarke supposes that the storm was “Probably excited by Satan, the prince of the power of the air, who, having got the author and all the preachers of the Gospel together in a small vessel, thought by drowning it, to defeat the purposes of God, and thus to prevent the salvation of a ruined world. What a noble opportunity must this have appeared to the enemy of the human race!” It’s a theory that I’ve considered in our current circumstance as well; the prince of the air is heavily contributing to the international chaos. He is the author of fear. Nevertheless, it is a full-blown gale this morning.
Brothers and sisters, it’s time to wake the sleeping Savior. It’s time to admit to our fear and talk with Him about the storm before we all wash away entirely. Yes, there may be correction; why have we lost fellowship? Why have we gone so far on our own? But there is also love and power in His presence – the kind of love that casts out fear and the kind of power that calms storms.
Our president has called for a national day of prayer tomorrow, March 15, 2020. He believes this pandemic can be stopped in it’s tracks through the power of prayer. I believe that, too. And I believe that the most powerful prayer is birthed through fasting. Would you join me, tomorrow, for a full day of fasting? Together, we can wake the Savior and start the collective conversation about the condition of the world right now.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)
Lord, please give us the gumption to wake You as a nation. Waking You means repenting of our long years of self-reliance. Waking You means admitting to the nature of our fear. Waking You means we allowed You to fall asleep in the first place. Forgive us for all of the above as we recall Who is with us. Waken in love and power. And may we never let You fall asleep again. Amen.
** Would you be so kind as to leave a comment if you choose to fast alongside me?