Peace, Be Still
Text: Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)
“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Text: Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side,’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Text: Luke 8:22-25 (NIV)
“One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
________
The accounts of the evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are not mere play-by-plays of the life of Jesus. They are ingenious social, spiritual, historical, and political commentary on the Jesus movement of the first century. They derive much of their content from the Old Testament, with extensive borrowing of symbols, metaphors, and allusions. Their purpose is to confirm that Jesus, the strange miracle worker from the seeming middle of nowhere, is indeed the expected Jewish messiah.
Being inspired by the Holy Spirit, these accounts are also prophetic in nature. Their words contain layers and layers of spiritual meaning, and reveal timeless principals that are not bound by one historical time or place. Reading the Bible with the Holy Spirit “unlocks” these deeper Truths.
The purpose of this stormy episode is not only to reveal Jesus’ divinity by showing His command over nature. This story is full of prophetic types which make other appearances throughout the Bible. This account reveals the power of the indwelling Christ to win the battle in our minds during trials and tests.
Mark indicates that it was night when the disciples entered the boat with Jesus. Night is a prophetic metaphor for the seasons in life when we must walk in pure trust. Our vision is dark. We are unable to see a single step in front of us. We must join hands with Him and dance through the dark in order to reach our destination. During spiritual night, we must choose to trust. The Lord responds to our decision by leading us into profound and transformative encounters with His presence.
In the Word, the sea symbolizes uncertain understanding. Boats, or other vessels which travel upon bodies of water, represent the human mind. This story in the Gospels symbolizes the process of renewing the mind by the Spirit. We are called out of the crowd (Mark 4:36) to journey with Jesus, working through questions and uncertainties to reach a new understanding of life on His terms.
Throughout Scripture, wind is used to represent the activities and entities of the spiritual realm (Psalm 104:4). For example, the Holy Spirit throughout the Old Testament is referred to as the wind, or breath, of God. He is ascribed personality in the New Testament, and comes to the gathered believers on Pentecost in a “mighty rushing wind” (Acts 2:2).
We do not war with flesh and blood, but spiritual enemies in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). These spirits are those which resonate with any idols (false beliefs, lies) that are believed in the inner man. The inner man (our spirit man), resides in the spiritual realm, beyond our conscious awareness. When there is war in this realm and the Lord fights a battle to bring us greater freedom, we experience the side effects in our mind. This is because the mind is the God-given connector to the spiritual realm. The Lord is working with angels to destroy the idols on the altar of our heart.
The raging sea, full of furious waves that threaten to swamp the boat, is stirred up by the wind. The waves represent troubling thoughts and emotions that are being directly or indirectly influenced by activity in the spiritual realm. These waves, which seem to threaten our entire existence, can cause great anxiety, depression, and panic. Our very understanding of the world, ourselves, and the Lord is called into question.
This journey can be absolutely terrifying because we feel like we have lost control of our thoughts and feelings. We feel like a plastic bag, being tossed to and fro in the wind. We feel like we are going insane and losing our grip on the world. The Lord is in the process of completely re-defining our identity, pruning away beliefs that prevent us from a deeper revelation of our identity as sons and daughters of God (John 15:2). The parts of our mind still enslaved to paradigms in opposition to the New Creation are being put to death - once and for all (2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
This process can cause a great deal of panic if you are not prepared for it. It can be very hard to reconcile God’s promise of peace (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7) with the experience of torment. We need to understand the Lord is in this tension, growing our faith and deepening our understanding of His character and ways. Lean not on your own understanding, and trust the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). He is taking you to a place better than you could imagine.
Jesus, with us in every storm, is our perfect model. He represents us. His goal in the storm is to awaken us to the reality that we have access to everything He is and has through His Spirit. He wants us to be so confident and secure in our New Creation identity that we are unaffected by dark or demonic spiritual influences. He is calling us into inner stillness and silence, regardless of life circumstance and antagonistic spiritual voices. Stillness is the key to spiritual authority and power. Sharing the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) means sleeping in any storm.
Jesus is with us through the battles of the mind. Rest and trust in His indwelling Presence are the keys for navigating the stormy uncertainties of our spiritual trials. He is revealing our spiritual authority and awakening us to understand and see the world as He does. Be still and know that He is God.
