Jesus' Boat Ride from Hades

A great windstorm arose,

and the waves beat into the boat,

so that the boat was already being swamped.

I clearly remember the time I was in a canoe with a Scout on Chesuncook Lake in the Maine wilderness. It’s about 22 mi. long, 5 mi. wide and 150 ft. deep

The lake was relatively calm when the wind seriously picked up, blowing the canoe sideways, sending water into the canoe.

Fear of being swamped is an understatement the Scout and I felt

The Sea of Galilee, much smaller, narrower, and shallower, has a geographic location causing storms developing quickly, without warning, immediately threatening small boats.

The disciples, the Scout and I experienced the panic of drowning.

Jesus continued preaching the impending Kingdom of God and the necessary repentance and acceptance of the good news.

This is not just a boat ride to the other side, but an apocalyptic boat ride from hades in which we learn Jesus’ identity.

The storm has come up, Jesus confronts the storm by rebuking it, saying to the sea, “Peace! Be still!

The wind ceases and the sea becomes a dead calm.

“Rebuke” and “silence” are exorcism words Jesus said earlier in Mark.

There are storms and then there are storms.

I’m currently reading The Demon of Unrest describing the cultural storm of issues surrounding slavery leading to the Civil War.

My niece is in the middle of a personal traumatic storm as she cares for my sister with Alzheimer’s illness.

Both of these storms have their own chaotic, wacky world.

Jesus, the Son of God, who exorcises the sea, brings calm in traumatic storms.

Jesus calls us to turn from our fears and trust confidently, in the good news that Jesus is in the boat capable of bringing calm to traumatic time.

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