Jesus Didn't Stop the Storm

Recently I had an epiphany over a Bible story I've heard and read numerous times. The story is Jesus walking on the water.

Let me set the scene for those not familiar with this story, it is found in Matthew 14 of the Bible.

At the beginning of Matthew 14, Jesus learns of the death of his cousin and good friend John the Baptist. How does Jesus respond? He slips away to find a quiet place to pray.

Principle one: when difficult news comes to you, don't handle it on your own; pray!

However, Jesus wasn't able to get alone, pray, and grieve his cousin's death. Someone spotted him and then, similar to a modern-day flash mob, Jesus was surrounded.

Jesus, being Jesus, didn't retreat. Matthew tells us, "he was overcome with pity" and began to heal their sick. This went on for hours.

Principle two: even when grieving, don't forsake the needs of others in your sphere.

Enter the disciples.

As evening began to approach, the disciples urged Jesus to send the crowd away to find food. Jesus, however, knew the local community couldn't provide enough for all these people and asked his disciples to have the crowd sit down. He then sent them through the crowd looking for food.

They found a young boy with some bread and fish.

Principle three: whenever possible, have people help you, even if they don't completely understand the endgame or fully believe in your mission.

So Jesus holds up the food, prays, and feeds five thousand men, plus women and children, with just some bread and fish. He not only feeds them; they ate their fill and 12 baskets of leftovers were collected.

Principle four: God can do immeasurably more than we can ever imagine! Sometimes we simply don't ask.

Having been healed and fed, the people finally leave.

Once again alone with his disciples, Jesus sends them off in a boat and once again goes to find a place to pray.

Principle five: when your prayer time is interrupted, follow God's leading and find a way to serve and do good, but as soon as you can, get back to prayer!

As Jesus prayed and the men crossed the water by boat, a storm came upon them. This storm was significant enough to scare the men.

And in the storm, Jesus came walking on the water. Now here is where I had my epiphany.

Jesus didn't calm the storm and then walk out to the boat. Jesus walked THROUGH THE STORM to get to the scared men.

Are you facing a storm in your life? Don't give up hope; Jesus is probably on his way to you, you just need to hang in a little longer. Just because there is a storm doesn't mean Jesus isn't coming. Sometimes we don't realize that by enduring the storm, we grow.

You see this story ends with Peter also walking on the water, in the storm. In fact, it wasn't until Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to once again focus on the storm that he began to sink. Only after he rescued Peter, and they both had climbed into the boat, did Jesus calm the storm.

Principle six: sometimes Jesus calms the storm, but sometimes Jesus meets us in the middle of the storm.