Luke 8:22-2522Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. 23But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. (Luke 8:22‑25)
Here is a parabolic display of what we may expect if we follow the Lord, and the opening out of what the Lord would be to those tried by such circumstances. The consequence of being the disciples and companions of Jesus is that they get into jeopardy every hour, they are not on terra firma, but are tossed about on a troubled sea and Christ Himself absent (“asleep”).
“There came down a storm of wind on the lake,” the ship was filled with water, and they filled with fear, and were in jeopardy. But the fact was, Christ was in the same boat with them. He who made the worlds, the Son of God, was with them and yet they were afraid, and cry out, “We perish,” as though He could be drowned, thus showing they had no sense of who He was that was with them in the boat.
To us now calmly reading the circumstances, what absurdity there seems to be in such unbelief, when, alas, is it not just the same with ourselves spiritually? Have we no sense of jeopardy when tossed about, and in trouble? In truth we have, for there is many a heart saying, “Who will show us any good?” forgetting what God is acting and doing, though man is battling to all appearances against God’s purposes.
When they say, “Lord we perish,” it is not so much of Him they were thinking, as of themselves. “We perish,” said they, and it is just the same now, for the fact of being in danger with Christ in the boat, is the same at one time as another, just as impossible now as them.
And in truth Christ is much more with us now, being more perfectly revealed to us, and we are united to Him, so that He is with us every moment in the power of the Spirit. However high the waves may rise, there is no drowning His love and thoughts towards us.
The test is to our faith. The question is: Have we that faith which so realizes Christ’s presence as to keep us calm and composed in the rough sea, as the smooth.
The eye should be off events, although they be ever so solemn, and surely they are solemn at this present time. But I know that all is settled and secure as if the whole world were favorable. I quite dread the way many dear saints are looking at events, and not looking at Christ and for Christ.
The Lord Himself is the security of His people, and let the world go on as it may, no events can touch Christ. We are safe on the sea, if only we have the eye off the waves, with the heart concentrated on Christ and on the interests of Christ. Then the devil himself cannot touch us.