“What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
–Mathew 8:27b
Well friends, it’s finally here; the end of another election cycle. This coming Tuesday, November 8th Americans will head to the polls to select the 45th President of the United States as well as to cast their vote for various down-ballot candidates. While there have always been partisanship, divisive discourse, and fearmongering in this country during election seasons, it certainly seems that the internet, social media, and a twenty-four hour cable news cycle have served in recent times to exacerbate these things. Perhaps more than ever there is fear on both sides of the political aisle regarding the future of the country, due in no small part to the candidates that each side has nominated for the highest office in the land. As Christians we are not immune to these political concerns, but we should be able to place them in their proper place.
Those of us who are familiar with the Scriptures are aware of God’s sovereignty over the nations and could quote verses to that effect. It is at times like these, however, that we need to be reminded again of these great truths that have sustained the people of God in the midst tense political situations throughout the centuries. In light of our current political moment, we turn our attention this week to a passage in Scripture that we might not associate with politics: Matthew’s account of Jesus’ calming of the storm on the Sea of Galilee.
In Matt. 8:23-27 we read that Jesus and the disciples got into a boat and began a crossing of the Sea of Galilee. At some point in the journey a storm arose that was so severe that the boat was being swamped by the waves. The disciples’ fear for their own safety in the midst of the storm contrast sharply with the mention that Jesus himself was asleep. Upon being awakened, Jesus asked why they were afraid and then proceeded to rebuke the wind and sea, at which time they became exceedingly calm. The natural response of the disciples was to marvel at what had occurred and to ask what sort of man it was who could do such a thing?
The account is dramatic, and illustrates the sovereign power of Jesus Christ over the created order. Ps. 89:9 says of Yahweh, “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” While the term sea can certainly mean the literal sea or ocean, in the Old Testament it can also refer figuratively to the chaos and raging of the nations. The Israelites were not a sea people, and so it is no wonder that the waves and sea were used to represent chaos and political disorder. Ps. 65:7 refers to Yahweh as the one “who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.”
Jesus’ actions on the Sea of Galilee, then, served as a living parable to instruct the disciples about His identity as Messiah. First, He was more than simply a man; He was Yahweh incarnate who could accomplish things that only Yahweh is said to be able to do throughout the Old Testament. Second, as Messiah, He possesses the authority to rule the nations. He has come, however, not to demonstrate that authority by overthrowing the Romans, but instead to defeat the powers and principalities behind the literal nations. This reality helps us to understand the events that follow in Matt. 8:28-34 where Jesus rebukes the demons, casting them into the pigs and driving them into the sea.
Friends, do we trust in the sovereignty of God in the midst of the political chaos of our nation? Recall that Jesus was asleep during the storm, which beautifully recalls the words of David in Ps. 3:5-6 where he states, “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” As those who know that Jesus has authority over the nations, we should not be afraid but should trust in our Heavenly Father just as He did.
Join us this Sunday as we gather to worship and to fellowship together as the church of Jesus Christ!
Soli Deo Gloria.
-Thomas