8th July 2014

Jesus was sleeping. His twelve disciples were panicking. All thirteen were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a furious storm. Twelve were reeling and retching and convinced that they were going to die. Only one was asleep and resting his head on the pillow of God’s sovereignty.

What a strange reversal then, on that occasion when Jesus was wide awake, while his disciples were sleeping. It was during another violent storm. One of a spiritual nature. In the garden of Gethsemane, billows of darkness were breaking over Jesus as he knelt to pray. His face not sea-sick green, but reddish with bloody sweat. To say that he was convinced that he was soon going to die is a theological understatement. It was the very reason for which he had come.

There is a time to rest and a time when resting is a sin. There is a time to pray and a time when praying should give way to sleep. How easily the saints of God get them around the wrong way, and are too quiet in the mountains, and too disquieted in the molehills. Too stressed in Galilee, and not stressed enough in Gethsemane. But how perfectly did our Saviour practice them both, and understand the difference between supplication and sleep.

DM 8^th July 2014