Sleep

Scripture Passage that caught my attention today: Mark 4:35-41 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Observation: Jesus was asleep. Jesus was able to sleep. Jesus was not afraid.

Application: This passage bugs me, and I’ll tell you why…it bugs me that Jesus was able to sleep even though a storm was raging all around him. I want to be like that! Instead I toss and turn and basically sleep not…or at least not very well.

One of the most basic of human needs is rest in the form of sleep. Without it…or without enough of it, we are not able to function at our best…at least not for very long.

Still, the ability to sleep well through times of stress apparently requires a gift of faith somewhat greater than my own. I wish that were not the case. I wish that either sleeping through times of stress did not require faith or, far better, that I had so much faith that sleeping was a breeze.

Instead, whenever I do find myself stressed I then find myself scurrying to awaken Jesus, longing to hear him—even if he was annoyed—proclaiming the divine imperative, “Peace! Be Still!”

That would be nice…really nice. I think I could sleep better then. You too?

Prayer: Lord, bring peace into our troubled world. Help us see it. Help us make for it. And then help those of us who might be inclined to toss and turn to simply toss and turn everything over to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Numbers 18-19, Psalm 29, and Mark 4)