PrintTwo Men In A Boat (4)
I'm just realizing afresh that the whole of this website is built around a nautical theme and these comparisons between Jonah and Jesus are, thus far, very nautical in nature! Which brings me to a fourth comparison; the reaction of the respective traveling companions of Jonah and Jesus to these two incredible storms…reactions which are remarkably (and predictably) similar!!
The sailors in Jonah's boat were filled with fear. They knew that this was not your ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill storm. Having identified that Jonah was somehow responsible for their dire predicament (he had already told them he was running away from his God – 1/10), they woke Jonah and plied him with questions to try and identify the "why's" and "how's" of their situation. Most of all, they wanted to know what they had to do to stop the storm – if that was possible (1/11).
Similarly, the disciples in Jesus' boat were quick to recognize that they were in a life-threatening situation. "Don't you care that we are going to drown?" Jesus' response of sleeping in such an alarming circumstance was more than they could comprehend. "Don't you care…..?" There have been numerous times in my journey with Jesus when His response – or seeming lack of response – has caused me to ask the same question.
These may have been times when storms looked like they would overwhelm me. But even times when sailing was relatively smooth, I have felt that God was absent or, at the very least, quite disinterested in my circumstances. It felt like He didn't care. At such times, I have wanted to stir the Lord into some kind of action on my behalf. I have prayed that He would protect me from the storm or that He would neutralize the storm. The idea that He might want to use the storm to teach me something more about Himself does not seem to rate consideration when the waves are engulfing the boat.
The response of Jonah and Jesus to their companions' concern can wait until my next log entry.
