Jesus Save Us

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” (Matthew 8:23-27)

Why was Jesus asleep?   I think this passage from Matthew means for many of us Jesus is asleep meaning we don’t take him seriously enough.  Therefore, having nothing to do, so to speak, he retires to sleep awaiting our realization that we need him especially when we are “perishing” from fears and troubles.  These are the times in our lives when the going is rough, and it seems as if we are being tossed at sea with high winds blowing us in directions we don’t wish to go.

When we need Jesus, he awakens within us and asks “Why are you terrified?”  He is our source of great calm provided we don’t leave him snoring belowdecks.  To awaken him we simply need to cry out, “Jesus, save us!”

Deacon David Pierce