This is the famous and helpful story about forgetting who loves us.
verse 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
verse 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
verse 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
behold, there arose a great storm on the sea: Why did God subject the disciples to this storm? He didn’t have to. First, Christians, even the twelve apostles, do not get a free pass in life. Everyone, without exception, suffers. Second, God has his purposes in everything. Third, God is always at work to mature us, to see him, to need him, to have our hearts true to him, to test us, and many, many more ways He is at work.
the boat was being swamped by the waves: Things go from bad to worse. They will sometimes go from bad to worse in our life too. No free passes.
they went and woke him: Verse 25 is a full of human realities. It is also famously short (like many similar verses) on all that is going on. They wake Jesus feeling terror. Jesus sleeping is significant. Jesus knows stress (read of the times Jesus is confronted, accused, anguishing in prayer, weeping, beaten, crucified, etc.), yet he is asleep at this moment. Huh?
Nature is at His control, yet he chooses not to control it. Not yet, at least. Nature is presently out of control (in one sense, but not on another sense, for nature is always on a leash held by God) and that is okay with Jesus at this specific moment. Jesus is okay with the storm. He is at peace with it.
What if the disciples had decided to let things play out? That is the million dollar question! Answer: they would have been okay.
Save us, Lord; we are perishing: Are they? Or are they failing to interpret their situation in light of The Creator and The Sustainer in their midst.
Was it wrong to wake him? No. It was wrong to presume their were perishing. Are their words understandable. Oh, yes! But they were not acting or thinking or feeling or talking in relation to who they were with, who had chosen them, who holds all things in his hands, who has BIG plans for them.
What would have been a better words? Perhaps, “Help us, Lord!” This expresses their need (which God always wants to hear!) and it stops there, trusting that Jesus in His providence and in His purposes will respond. They are to live by faith, not by sight or their feelings.
This is tough stuff!!
The Men's Bible Reading Idea 