Jn.6:16-18 – Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. In addition, the sea began getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing.
This story is filled with prophetic glimpses of the church through the ages, dealing with the catastrophic storms that have hit every generation. The disciples had just experienced possibly the greatest day of Jesus’ ministry. There had been amazing miracles of deliverance and healing, incredible teaching, and the multiplying of the fish and bread to feed the thousands of people who were now following Jesus. The coming clouds of darkness and the raging storm on the sea were a glimpse into the real storm about to crash in on all of their lives. From the top of the mountain of celebration into the all consuming storm, this is familiar territory to all of us. Augustine gives us the response to keep us in the gathering storms of life.
“He fled alone to the mountain—the first begotten from the dead—because he has ascended above all the heavens and is interceding for us. … But while he was above what were the disciples enduring in the ship below? For that ship prefigured the church while he is on high.…
While they were sailing to Capernaum, John tells us what happened to them. It became dark and Jesus had not come to them. It was right that John said it was dark, because the light [Jesus] had not yet come to them. As the end of the world draws near, errors increase, terrors multiply, iniquity abounds and infidelity escalates……And how does Jesus come to the disciples? He comes walking upon the waves…..Tribulations increase, all these swell and mount up: Jesus passes on treading upon the waves.”
We would all have to agree, there are dark storm clouds on the horizon in this present world, things are changing for us just like they changed for the disciples. What was Jesus’ instructions as they prepared to cross the sea? Matt.14:22 – (My paraphrase) “Get in the boat and go to the other side.”
Maybe that is what He is saying again today. What boat is He talking about? He is speaking of the church of course. This is our place of safety, this is the place Jesus always shows up walking on the water in the middle of the storm.
1 thought on “THE CHURCH IN THE STORM”
Wind and water, there sure are numerous references to the lessons we can derive from all the way’s these two substances relate to our lives. Profound yet simple.