John 6:16-18 Storms and faith_
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. John 6:16-18 NIV
This storm on the water is also recounted in Matthew and Mark. The parallel versions say they were “distressed,” “troubled,” and “they cried out in fear.” The disciples were exhausted from a long and eventful day, battered by the elements, and then seeing something walking on the water toward them, were scared out of their minds.
Having a disposition of faith does not come easy, and when it does, it doesn’t automatically embed itself into my baseline thinking. Faith is often a deliberate choice, not my first instinctual response. Looking at circumstance through the lens of faith is deliberate. It is a position in my heart that projects a future over my life that has been declared by God. It’s grasping His word spoken to me. Instead of expecting bad I choose to expect good, not because I wish for it to be so, but because I hear His voice telling me about my future. When in a tough spot, it’s just as reasonable for me to look at my circumstance through the lens of faith as it is to through the the lens of despair and a negative outcome. Both make a projection into my future, and emotionally I respond either in terror, or peace. It’s my choice. Even better, I may change the habit from which I instinctively view my world, particularly through the help of the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Faith isn’t automatic, it may be nurtured, particularly, by observing. Jesus said in John 14 that it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to show us Jesus, remind us of what he said and did, show us what is to come. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3 that he only speaks of that which he has seen. So for me to live life from a context of faith I must be observing and hearing what he is telling me about my life and future. When plodding through a normal day the lessons I learn from those I see do not usually teach me this.
So what does this mean in practical terms? Does it mean that I may pull out any wishful thinking about my future and slap the label of faith on it and call it good? Faith is based on a reality, not my imagination. Consider the reality of the disciples’ situation. They had just witnessed an incredible miracle. Along with the crowd, not only did they see the sign of the multiplication of food, they saw other signs too — people healed, demons cast out, water turned to wine. Then add the fact that they were selected by the Messiah to be his disciples. Then, it was this miracle worker Jesus who told them to launch out in the boat and cross the lake. When the storm came out of the blue (or in this case the black of night) to threaten them, what should be the substance of their hope? What unseen evidence should they consider?
Faith 101 could respond something like this: “The Messiah, who chose me to follow him and to observe him and do what he does, the one who has authority over sickness and the natural world, told me to get into this boat and go to the other side. I’m smack dab in the middle of his focus and attention and where he asked me to be. I’m not sure what this storm is about, but it will not declare a future that is different from what he’s already made clear to me. Things look bleak and troubling now. I’m tired, drained, and emotionally exhausted. But I understand the temptation that I’m facing to let my heart be troubled — but no harm can come to me. This wind, this storm, this adversity, and this scary ghost approaching on the water are not the only news in this boat. I’m firmly held in the cleft of a rock protected by God and His holy angels. I have a future in Him, in His ministry, and in this life! And it’s abundant life!”
Whether it’s a storm threatening to toss my boat and drown me, or cancer boasting of a slow painful death, or being lost in the woods without food, or a troubled close relationship that is battering me — they all speak to a future that ends badly. It’s natural to be distressed when threatened. Yet, Jesus offers us a different response, if I’m willing to let go of a natural, instinctual view.
There’s another lesson in this story. When I encounter the miraculous — I am confronted with the very real possibility that the position from which I view all of life may be altered. And it should be. What if whenever there is lack, I may count on supply? What if the dreary, drab existence I call life may erupt into boundless hope and possibility because his kingdom tears down the box from which I am living? When natural meets supernatural my “normal” is altered. The idea of our expectation turning to life instead of death is something our adversary cannot stomach. It’s no coincidence that when the needle of faith is starting to move, our enemy wants to move it back. Quickly. It’s important for me to understand this. All advances in the kingdom are challenged. Fiercely. It always comes back to a choice: what will I believe? What am I willing to make my new normal? The principalities and powers that observed what miraculous things just occurred are the same that stirred up the storm. This life in Christ seems like such a bipolar experience at times, yet for one purpose: that I may believe.
On a personal note, I was enjoying a morning run on a trail near my home and I heard the Holy Spirit ask, “Marc, what would it look like if you completely trusted me with your life?” Wow, what a question. There are so many constant subconscious worries I seem to have. In fact, clinging to worry makes me feel like I’m being responsible. It makes me want to plan, anticipate, strategize. I want to avoid failure at all costs, and my engine driving all this may be… fear. As I visualize an answer to my Father’s question, I realize that I easily forget his word to me personally. His life is truly a life with “an easy yoke, and a light burden” that I may live abundantly.
I find it fascinating that the account of this story in John doesn’t focus on the fear and drama like the others do. John was viewing Jesus and these encounters through a different lens than the other writers. God is love. In John’s stories he focuses on the possibilities and miraculous, the words Jesus speaks and the Spirit. Yes, storms come, but so does Jesus.