James and John sat close to the Master and tried to
rouse Him from the dream into which He had sunk.
“What do you want of Me?”
“Master!” exclaimed James, “you
are so entirely with your Heavenly Father that you
do not see how terrible is our doom.”
“I thought as much,” repeated Simon, almost
weeping.
Jesus looked at him earnestly, and said: “If
you keep on saying: I thought as much, well,
then, so it must be. Think rather that God’s
angels are with you! And you, James! Have
you forgotten the trust you had in God on dry land?
Yesterday on the quiet eventide, when, well fed and
cared for we sat in the inn at Chorazin, you spoke
much of trust in God. Trust Him also in distress.”
“O Master, I see help nowhere.”
“Learn to believe without seeing.”
As He spoke a flash of lightning blinded their eyes,
and when after a time they were able to look up again,
a wild terror seized them. The Master was not
there. Now that they no longer saw Him, they
shouted loudly; shrieked out His name. Only
John remained calm, and looked out into the darkness,
wrapt in some bewilderment or trance.
The foam flew into their faces and reduced them to
utter confusion; they could only involuntarily hold
tight to the beams of the swaying vessel. “Living
or dying we will not leave Him,” said James.
But the Master had left them. It seemed as
though He had never existed. They seized the
rudder again, and, with the courage of men in the presence
of death, wrestled with the storm which seemed disinclined
to let its victims go. “God is with us!”
exclaimed Simon quickly, and worked with all that
remained of his strength. “God is with
us!” exclaimed James, and planted the rudder
firmly in the water. Only John did not stir.
Bending over the side, he stared out into the wild,
grey, whirling waters. He espied in the midst
a circle of light in which appeared a figure that
came nearer, and behold! Jesus was walking on
the sea slowly towards the ship. The waves grew
smooth under His feet, the sea grew light all over,
the rock-towers of Hippos could be seen in the distance,
with the evening sun sinking behind them. Jesus
sat among His friends, and with kindly words chid
them for their despondency.
“Oh, wonderful!” exclaimed James.
“While you were with us, we were of little
faith, and when we could not see you, we believed.”
“’Twas your faith that helped,”
said James. Then, laying his hand on the youth’s
shoulder: “And what is My wrapt John dreaming
of? I was not yonder in the mist; I was here
with you, I tell you, friends: He is blind who
sees without believing, and clear-sighted who believes
without seeing.”
