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As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was 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?"
Why are you terrified? Can we really blame the Apostles for being afraid? I can't. Their boat was taking on water. They were far from shore. The Lord was asleep and the possibility of drowning was real. This storm must have been pretty severe if it had created fear and despair among professional fishermen and had awakened the Lord from His slumber - actually, the Apostles woke him up. Ugh!
Do you sometimes feel like Jesus is asleep on the job or when you need Him the most?
So why in the world would Jesus rebuke His disciples and tell them: "O you of little faith!"
Why are you terrified of dying? O you of little faith! The storm wasn't the problem. The rocking of the boat wasn't the problem. The rising of the tides wasn't the problem. Death was the problem. The Apostles were not afraid of the storm, they were afraid of dying, and that's why the Lord rebuked them.
O you of little faith. Do you not realize that the best place you could ever be is at my side? And yes, that includes being crucified at my side.
Cause and consequence. I often wonder how long it took for the Apostles to feel comfortable around the Lord; and how long it took for them to know they had nothing to fear. Obviously, it took a while. They had been brainwashed for years to believe that being safe and sound meant being comfortable, not obedient and faithful.
Have we learned this lesson, yet? Doesn't sin cause sleepless nights; and betrayal, anxiety? Don't lies cause tension and suspicion among friends and family. Cause and consequences.
As the prophet Amos wrote: "Do two walk together unless they have agreed? Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? does a young lion cry out from its den unless it has seized something? Is a bird brought to earth by a snare when there is no lure for it?"
Do you understand what he is saying? If so, then will not a good, clean and healthy relationship with the Lord be a blessing to you?
Cause and consequences.
O Ye of little faith. Fear and anxiety can really sneak up on you. Friday my dad took a turn for the worse. I was at Adoration and I thought we were going to lose him. I was so afraid and kept repeating "I am so afraid.". It was a my teenage daughter that Christ spoke through. She said, "Why are you afraid? Jesus is right here with us. We have nothing to fear!". Out of the mouth of babes.
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